


The Choice

by sharonrogers



Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: AU, F/M, SO MUCH BANTER, So Sappy, you'll enjoy it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-05-18 23:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5947843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharonrogers/pseuds/sharonrogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers is living a pretty simple life filled with friends, his dog, and the ocean. One day Sharon Carter walks into his life and makes things more complicated than he would like. </p>
<p>Steve/Sharon AU<br/>Based off the book The Choice</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well I'm already going to post this story. You will laugh and cry so hard and I'm really sorry I'm going to put you through this. Please enjoy the constant banter between these two!

"Refresh my memory, why did I agree to help you with this?" Bucky asked out of breath and red-faced. His face was covered in sweat. He slipped and nearly smacked his nose off the wood. The hot May sun wasn't exactly doing him any favors today. Even Steve's dog, Moby, was doing his best to remain fully in the shade while panting as loud as he physically could.

Steve Rogers, who was pushing the giant box as well, was somehow capable to shrug. "Because you thought it would be fun," he said. He dropped his shoulder more and moved the spa another few inches.

Bucky looked at their progress and figured they would never be done. "I can't do this anymore," Bucky said as he threw his weight into the spa again. He kept cursing Steve for not having the spa company place this 400 pound spa into the hole for him. Bucky couldn't identify which body part hurt the most right now. "And for the record, this is sure as hell not fun."

"You're repeating yourself now." Steve threw his shoulder into the spa again.

Bucky stood up straight and ran his hand across his forehead, through the layers of sweat. "This is a direct quote 'Bucky can you come over and help me move this spa into place? Sam and Tony are helping too.' End quote."

Steve laughed and stopped moving the spa. "They'll be here."

"When?"

"Soon."

"You said that 2 hours ago you lying bastard." He started to push again. "How exactly are 2 guys going to lower this thing in there?" Steve waved him off and continued pushing.

"We're smart, educated bastards. We will find a way to get this in there." Steve said while pushing.

Bucky remained quiet for a minute. "I'm done with this. You are crazy Rogers."

Steve nodded while getting in position. "You ready, Buck?" Bucky muttered a few curse words then positioned himself as well.

"This isn't fun."

"Damn, Steve! Really stepping up the party game my friend!" Sam checked out the new addition to Steve's deck. Sam and Misty, along with Tony and Pepper, had finally arrived with kids right behind them.

"This looks amazing, Steve. You and Bucky managed this yourselves?!" Pepper asked in complete awe.

"It wasn't bad at all. Hey, even Buck had a blast!" Tony looked over Steve's shoulder and saw an exhausted and angered Bucky laying on a lawn chair.

"Yeah, I can see that," Tony laughed as did the others. "Was it heavy?"

Bucky shot up as fast as he could. "It was like moving a boulder. One that you could hire the pros to do all the dirty work." Bucky glared at Steve.

"Can the kids get in?" Misty inquired.

"I'm afraid not yet. I just filled it and will take a while to warm up," Steve looked at the setting sun. "The sun should help speed it up a little."

"Yeah in minutes!" Bucky laughed to himself. "No no no, seconds!" He laughed harder and laid down again. "By the way thanks for showing up to help Sam and Tony."

"Steve told us to come around 5 for some beers and burgers with the families," Sam covered his mouth to prevent himself from laughing.

Bucky glared at Steve again. "I can honestly tell you with a straight face, I hate you with every nerve and fiber in my body."

Natasha, Bucky's wife, walked over and hit his shoulder. "Would you man up for once?"

Steve couldn't help but laugh and everyone but Bucky joined in. The wives wandered off to the other side of the deck to where all the kids were.

"So, how are my boys?" Steve asked. Steve was the only unmarried one in his friend group and that did not bother him that much. He saw what marriage had done to his friends.

They all went on about their kids most recent achievements in school. He also got the usual complaints about the in-laws. 

 A little while later, most of the kids started their usual 7pm tantrums and everyone said their goodbyes. After all Steve's friends left, he was left with Moby, burgers, and a lot of beer. He grabbed a beer and put on his favorite Rolling Stones CD on. Life could not get much better than this.

"Go get your ball Moby!"

* * *

 

That stupid music, again. It was terribly loud tonight, louder than usual. It was 11pm on a Saturday night. He was playing music that loud while playing fetch with that stupid dog too. He just keeps getting on her nerves...for a good reason though...even though he didn't do it...but whatever.

"Molly come here girl!" Sharon's dog Molly walked over to her owner slowly. "Listen sweet girl, I'm going over there and I'm making things right. That stupid mutt of his got you pregnant and I won't let him not take responsibility. And it's time I have a talk about the music too," Molly cocked her head to the side questioningly. "Ok it's a bit unfair to just ambush him with this, but he needs to hear it, right," Molly's look was 'oh stop being so dramatic'. "It's his fault though! He just sits on that stupid deck with his feet propped up acting like there isn't one bad thing going on in the world!" Molly walked away. "Glad to see whose side you're on." Sharon said sarcastically. She glanced out her window and saw him still sitting there.

Maybe she was being really unfair. She did enjoy the music he played, just not at that level. And besides, he might be a great dog. He had tons of friends so clearly there's something good in him. But then the thought of Molly being pregnant and having puppies made her really nervous. Sharon barely has enough time taking care of Molly let alone 3 or 4 more puppies.

Finally she opened the door, ready to embark on her very important mission. She found a small opening in the hedge and walked through it. She was so focused on her mission that she didn't see the rubber ball flying towards her, with a dog not far behind it.

Sharon was laying on her back in the grass. For a moment she wasn't able to draw a breath but quickly regained control of her breathing. The rest of her body was screaming in pain. 'How hard did I hit my head?' She thought to herself.

She heard a voice, barking, and ringing all in the distance. When she started to come around her eyes focused on a pair of striking blue eyes. And slowly the voice started to become clearer.

"Are you alright?" He didn't touch her at all, not really knowing how to help right now. He saw her nod slightly and wave him away.

She turned her head to the right only to be greeted by the wet, slobbery tongue that belong to the one and only Nobby.

"Ouch ow ow," she whimpered as she sat up to get away from that tongue. Unfortunately she couldn't get rid of it.

"Moby, down! Go away, boy." Steve shooed the dog away from them.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." She kept telling herself. "Who's Moby?"

"My dog."

"Who's Nobby then?"

"What are you talking about?"

She held the back of her head, where there was the most pain. "Forget it."

"Are you positive you're alright? You hit your head pretty hard." He held his hands out to help her up.

"Perfectly fine." She ignored his offer and got up on her own.

"How about you sit on the deck while I get you some ice." 

"Why would I do that?" Her head was throbbing but she was going to be fine.

"Because you were coming over here for something and were hurt by my dog?" He says hesitantly. When she doesn't respond he continues. "We could just stay here too. That's fine with me."

She put her hand up to shut him up. "I need to talk to you..." He slapped his arm randomly that made a really loud noise.

"Same here. I keep meaning to come over and officially welcome you to the neighborhood. Speaking of which, did you get those muffins I left by your door?" He slapped his neck this time.

"Yes, that was very nice of you. What I really need to talk to yo-" he slapped his arm again.

"We should go to the deck. The mosquitoes are vicious little buggers by these bushes."

"Look, I just want to tell..."

"There's one on your earlobe." Her right hand shot up and felt for the bug.

"Other one." She waved it away.

"There's one on your forehead now." She swatted it away.

"Listen, I just want..."

He interrupted her again. "Let's go to the deck since there is an army of them emerging now."

"Fine." She snapped and followed him to the deck. When they got up there he grabbed a beer and opened one up.

"I don't think I've formally introduced myself to you. I'm Steve Rogers." He held his hand out for her to shake.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair to compose herself. "Sharon Carter." She shook his hand quickly.

"Pleasure meeting you."

"Yeah," she crossed her arms to get ready for what she's about to do.

He studied her body language. She was angry and he could tell. He was going to let her talk now. "You needed to say something?"

She told him about how when she found this house a year ago, she was more than excited to finally buy a house, one that her and her boy friend might experience life together in. It was her dream to have a house like this, right on the beach with not a hotel in sight. Then she explained to him how she recently noticed Molly's nipples were getting bigger and bigger. She told him that his dog got her pregnant. She finally stopped rambling and she noticed how he wanted to speak.

Steve saw tears in her eyes when she finished. She really opened up a lot, but she also was wrongly accusing his dog. She wiped the corners of her eyes then put her hands on her hips.

"So what are you going to do about this?"

He looked around for a second. "About what exactly?"

"The puppies!" She said a little louder than expected.

"Well lets step back for a second. You know for sure she's pregnant?" He stood up now so he was on her level.

"I am a physicians assistant. I think I can figure out if my dog is pregnant," she fired back at him.

"I've actually had a lot of experience with dogs so..."

She waved her hand to cut him off. "Her nipples are huge, a snail is faster than her, and she has been acting weird lately. What else could it be, dog whisperer?"

"It could be possible she has an infection that has caused some swelling."

Sharon opened her mouth the argue his point but she hadn't actually thought it was an infection. Whatever it was still his dog who did this to her dog. "Look she's pregnant and your going to help me find homes for the puppies."

"I can assure you Moby didn't do it."

"You're an easy book to read."

"What?

"Man up and take some responsibility for this mess. It's not going to be easy finding these homes."

"But-" before he could argue anymore, she was already approaching the hedges. 'Isn't she a bright ray of sunshine,' he thought to himself before heading inside for bed.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I have a lot of chapters written so far so expect some quick updates! Enjoy this chapter!

Sharon was unsure of how she felt after leaving Steve's, and all she was capable of doing. After closing the door, she leaned against it. Her head was killing her and she knew she needed some ice, but something else was bugging her.

Maybe going over there wasn't her smartest idea. She felt guilty because thinking back it was unfair of her to yell at him after never interacting before. He didn't apologize so she justified it was right to do. Although she did it, which she was proud of. She never really stood up for herself, or actually enjoyed standing up for herself. She wasn't good with words and sharing them with others. Like Clint, she won't ask him about their future plans because his plans only went as far as next weekend. Or to Dr. Banner, the harsh doctor she worked for. Not even to her mom either. Her mom always wanted for her to just find a wealthy husband after college instead of what she was doing now.

Sharon loved her mother very much, but her mothers image of what she should be doing with her life made her mad. Her dad on the other hand, she loved him to death. He was her buddy when she was growing up. She would go hunting, fishing, and hiking with him every weekend. His love for the outdoors moved her. Her parents were polar opposites, and yet they have a wonderful marriage. Their love has to be as strong if not stronger for each other than on the day they met.

She saw Molly walk over to her at the door. "Need to go outside girl?" Molly's tail started to wag when she heard outside. She looked super pregnant. To be honest, she was nervous about what to do with the puppies and Molly. She had never been through dog pregnancies before.

Her mind drifted back to Clint. She loved him so much, but he has made no effort to even consider thinking about their future. All she needed was for him to ask her to marry him and she would say yes a million times. After all, he was the reason she moved here. Standing up to her neighbor was one thing, but Clint was a whole new game. What if he didn't have plans? Did she really quit her first job just to come down here and waste her time? Sell her lovely little house she had? Just how much farther is she willing to go?

She had no idea, but she didn't want to lose him. But she did want to get healthier. That was something she could handle and control these days. Tomorrow she would start becoming a better person.

But first, she really needs to get Molly to the vet.

* * *

 

It was getting to be one of those days where she wondered why she wanted to work in a pediatric office. She loved babies except when they screamed when she gave them shots. Toddlers were pretty cool, too. The parents were the ones who drove her crazy. She understood that as parents they are concerned about their child, but their child sure as hell did not contract the disease that has been found in 3 people in China. Mrs. Smith was her worst parent.

Mrs. Smith was holding Rory in her arms protectively. "I still believe Rory should see Dr. Banner."

"As I told you before, he is at the hospital on an emergency," she forced a smile. "Your son is perfectly fine, and I'm sure Dr. Banner would agree with me."

"But he's still coughing." Of course he is.

"As I said a few minutes ago, toddlers can cough for up to 6 weeks after a cold. Their lungs are not as strong as ours, yet, so they take longer to heal. This is perfectly normal for a boy his age."

"So he will get an antibiotic?"

"He doesn't need one ma'am. He's healthy."

"Since Dr. Banner isn't here, maybe Dr. Foster should see him. Other kids are sick at daycare and I'm sure something is going around."

Sharon ignored her request. "If he spikes a fever you can bring him back."

"I don't want to bring him back. That's why he's here today. He should see a real doctor."

Sharon left the room and went to confront Dr. Foster.

"Excuse me, Dr. Foster?"

"Hm?" She was studying a chart.

"Can you squeeze a boy into your schedule for a few minutes. His mother wants him to see a doctor."

She put the chart down. "Is it Mrs. Smith again?"

"Unfortunately." 

She rolled her eyes. "I will take a look. You can go have your lunch break now."

She hurried away from her office and went to her own. She got to her office and got her purse. When she bent down her body screamed in pain at her. "Ow!" She said through gritted teeth.

She was sore from her workout. She went for a jog on Sunday but that wasn't enough for the new Sharon. So she headed to small, local gym to sign up for a membership. Right when she finished filling out the papers she was informed of a class called Boot Camp Shredder. She figured why not and went in and did it. She wished she could go back in time and tell herself to never walk through those doors.

She held her breath as she bent down for her purse again. She barely got it and stood up again slowly. She left the doctors office and got in her car. She made the short trip to her house to get Molly.

She opened the door to her home and took Molly out before getting her in the car. Molly was really upbeat today which was good for Sharon. Sharon got Molly in the car and drove the few quick minutes down the road to the vet.

Once she was at the vet she got Molly out and walked her inside. The receptionist got up and spoke before Sharon could. "This must be Molly!"

"It is," Sharon smiled to try and hide how much pain she was in.

"Your room is just just right there," she point to the first door in the hallway. "You can go in and fill out the paperwork. The doctor will be in momentarily so you can get back to work."

"Thank you," she smiled again and took Molly into the room. She slowly sat down and started to fill out the paperwork.

Less than a minute later, the door opened, and the first thing she saw was the white smock, and a second later the name embroidered on it in black letters. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Why hello there, Sharon." Steve said with a sly grin on his face. "How are you today?"

She just stared at him and she noticed his eyes were bluer than they were yesterday.

"So this is Molly," he interrupted her thoughts. She watched him pet her and give her a treat from his pocket. "Such a nice girl you are. How you feeling, girl?" He rubbed her ears and Sharon could see her fall in love with the way he was petting her.

She cleared her throat and crossed her arms, and winced because of the sudden movements. "You're the vet?" Her voice was shakey when she said that.

He nodded while petting Molly. "Along with my dad. He started this place and I joined, obviously after college." He stood up now, focusing on Sharon now.

Of course it had to be him on this already crappy day she was having. "You could have mentioned that the other night."

"I told you to take her to the vet, remember?"

She took a deep breath. He was annoying her again. "You know what I mean," she huffed.

"About me being the vet? I tried to tell you but you wouldn't let me get two words out."

"You still could have mentioned it."

"You seemed like you weren't in the mood to hear it. No hard feelings though. I'll check her out and get you back to work as soon as possible."

She decided he was purposely trying to annoy her. She crossed her arms again to show her disinterest in his annoying ways. She bit her lip to stop herself from yelping from the pain.

Steve glanced back at her, like he could sense her pain. "You okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Positive? You look like you're in pain."

She bit her lip again. "Nope," she did her best to smile.

He focused on the dog, feeling her stomach. He stood up after a few minutes of examining. He pretended during that time to be examining so Sharon could sort her thoughts. Finally he stood up and turned around to face her. "Well, she's pregnant. She's about 7 weeks along."

"Told you," she glared at him. And she wanted to add his filthy mutt did it.

"Just so we can clear things up, Moby didn't do it," he put the clipboard on the counter and saw anger spread on her face.

"How do you know that?"

"It's probably the stray that's been roaming around our area lately."

"What makes you so sure of this?"

He shrugged casually. "Moby's been neutered."

* * *

 

Sharon has always been one to let her emotions take over her thoughts. She is also very stubborn about everything she believes. Right now she wishes she didn't have this quality.

"Neutered?" She whispered.

"Yes, 2 years ago. In this office. My dad did it though."

"Graphic..."

"I came over to tell you on Sunday but you were out. I felt really bad about it all."

"I was at the gym," she slapped herself internally for saying that.

"Good for you," he said with a friendly smile. "Again, no hard feelings about this. Real quick. Molly will have her pups sometime in the next 2 weeks. I recommend you set up a little place for her in your garage with some old blankets and newspapers. It will be cool in there, which will be ideal for her."

She just nodded feeling so small and embarrassed.

"If you need anything you can call me. You know where I live if you need anything."

"Okay," she managed to say.

When she didn't say anything else, he headed towards the door. "That's it. You can take her back home if you'd like. But I'm glad you listened to me. I knew it wasn't an infection, but checking doesn't hurt.

"Thank you," she mumbled. "And I'm sorry..."

He held his hands up to cut her off. "Like I said, no hard feelings. Really. I understand you were upset, and Mob does roam the neighborhood. Anyways, I'll see you around," he snuck a wink in before he left the room.

She waited a long moment before she left the room and paid the bill real quick.

When she was driving back to work she thought about how forgiving he was about the situation, and how she was not. There was no rock large enough for her to crawl under so she decided to avoid him for a while. Not forever, obviously. Something within reason, like the next 50 years.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the Clint/Sharon thing is weird just hang with me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Another update will come sometime before Wednesday!

Steve glanced out the window and watched Sharon Carter back out of the parking lot. Once he saw her pull safely on the road he shook his head and laughed to himself, still amused by her embarrassment. He barely knew her and yet he was able to figure out that if you can read her expression you can read her mind. He liked that about anyone really. It made him feel like there's a better connection between them. He also liked how she was open and free, instead of covering herself with a fake mask.

He pulled his keys out of his pocket and made his way to his truck. Things were slow today in the office, so he figured he would take a longer lunch break. He drove to his usual spot with his usual lunch in the beat up cooler he had. About 2 years ago, he bought this plot of land hoping he would build his dream home here. He figured that if he built it a wife and kids would follow. But he never built it. He just didn't know what he wanted. So he now uses it as his daily lunch spot.

He pulled out his sandwich and ate it peacefully as he thought, in depth, about his life. This wasn't like him. He usually just went about life doing what he needed then spending the extra time doing things enjoyed. Years ago he convinced himself that is all life is about, not love and marriages.

It had to be Sharon. He hasn't thought about his life like this in years. But he barely knew her, so why was she the cause of his thoughts? He thought about her. He thought about he will most likely never get to know Sharon Cater. However he did get to know her angry side a little more than he would have liked. But then he started to think about the real Sharon Carter. She had to have a great sense of humor. She was definitely intelligent even if she wasn't a PA. He couldn't imagine her on a date though. He shook the thought. Well they shouldn't live next to each other with this cloud of tension hanging over their heads. He decided he would invite her over the next time his friends came by.

He packed his cooler and headed back to work. His afternoon brought him the usual dogs and cats with the exception of one gecko. It was always fun treating "exotic" animals.

When he got back in his truck after work, his mind wandered back to Sharon. He wondered if she liked to wakeboard or snowboard. It seemed unlikely but at the same time he imagined that she could have a more adventurous side to her that he probably would never see. As he pulled away he told himself that it didn't matter. Except somehow it did.

* * *

 

Over the next two weeks, Sharon was full of nerves. She checked on Molly constantly to make sure she didn't have the puppies yet. She also became stealthy when it came to entering and leaving her house. She made such a fool of herself that she really didn't have the heart to lay her eyes on Steve again. He had been so forgiving and she had been so accusing. She knew she messed up.

Good news is that she came down from her 50 year limit. She took the limit down to 6 months which was very generous in her opinion. Lucky for her, learning Steve's schedule was too easy. He left at 8am and would get home around 6pm. Avoiding him was the hardest thing. She had a few close calls but so far, no interaction.

She supposed she could have handled this a lot differently, but she had a feeling that if she would come face to face with Steve, she'd find herself remembering instead of listening, and the last thing she wanted was to make things worse between them. Besides, she had other things on her mind.

Clint was the leader of her thoughts. He came by a few nights. They had dinner, saw a movie and hung out at the beach. After they made love, he would tell her how much he loved her. It was a bit of a tease to her since their future was still unknown. But it made her smile.

She wanted to go out on her deck with a glass of wine to clear her mind while she watched the sunset. But Steve was out on his deck flipping through magazines while grilling. At a time like this she wished Clint wasn't working late so he could hang out with her. She was very proud of him, but his work always got in the way of spending time with him when she needed him the most. She thought about going to Atlantic Beach herself for some wine, but she decided not to. The dog seemed like she was close to giving birth.

She turned off the TV and got up from her couch. Molly wasn't around so she checked the garage. She saw the door was opened slightly and when she walked in and turned on the lights, the first thing she saw was 6 puppies around Molly. Sharon called out to her; a moment later, however, she began to scream.

* * *

 

Steve pulled out the chicken that had been baking in his oven for the last hour. He set the chicken down on the counter when he heard someone pounding on his back door.

"Dr. Rogers...Steve...please come quick! Molly is in trouble!" Sharon shouted until Steve opened the door. He rushed across his yard with her and quickly grabbed his emergency bag he kept in the back of his truck. His dad taught him to keep one there because you never know when you'll get a call.

Steve followed her into her garage, his heart was pounding. "She's panting and vomiting. And something is hanging out of her, Steve." He noticed she was crying. "Please help her," she begged him through her tears.

"Let me wash my hands," he said quickly. He scrubbed his hands as fast as he could. "Is it possible to get more light in there?" He called out to her.

"Aren't you taking her to the clinic?"

"Not this moment, but I will as soon as I get her stabilized." He knelt down by Molly and looked at the problem. "And I really do need that light, please."

"Right...of course." She vanished for a minute a returned with a lamp in hand. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I'll know in a few minutes how serious it is." He held his hands up like a surgeon and nodded to his bag. "Could you bring that over here? And put the light as close as you can to Molly."

"Okay." She was trying so hard not to panic.

"I need you to hold her and whisper to her. Just keep her calm."

When Sharon was in place, Steve squatted next to Molly, listening as Sharon whispered to her. He tried not to listen to Sharon too much, but the tone of her voice sounded like she was comforting her little girl in some alternate universe. He touched Molly's uterus which was hanging out of her. She twitched slightly at his touch.

"What's wrong with her?"

"It's a uterine prolapse. Basically part of the uterus has turned inside out, and it's protruding." He turned the uterus slightly to see if there were any ruptures. "We're there any problems with the whelping?"

"I'm not sure. I had no idea it happened. She's going to be okay, right?"

He was too focused on the uterus now to respond. "Reach into the bag. There should be some saline. And I need the jelly too."

"What are you going to do?" She asked while shuffling through his bag.

"I need to clean it first. Then I'll guide it back in. If we are lucky it will contract back in there on its own. If that doesn't work, I'll have to take her in for surgery."

"Surgery?" She exclaimed.

"Relax and just give me me the saline and jelly."

Sharon got the saline and jelly for him and handed them to him. Steve cleaned the uterus very thoroughly. Then he reached for the lubricant jelly, hoping it would work.

Sharon couldn't watch. She just concentrated on Molly, and whispered in her ear. Steve stayed quiet, his hand moving rhythmically over the uterus.

She didn't know how much time passed. It could have been 10 minutes or an hour. Finally she saw Steve lean back, as if trying to relieve the tension in his shoulders. Then she saw his hands were free.

"Is it over?" She sat up as well. "Is she okay?"

"Yes and no," he said. "Her uterus is back in place, and it did it pretty much on its own. She does need to go to the clinic though. She's going to have to take it easy for a couple of days while she gets her strength back. I'll get some x rays to make sure there is no internal bleeding. I'm going to back up my truck and I've got some old blankets for her to lay on."

"It's not going to fall out again?"

"It shouldn't."

"What about the puppies?"

"They will come too. They need to be with their mom." He picked up one of the puppies and pet it gently. At some point in her life, Sharon would have thought that he looked extremely sexy holding that puppy that way. But she has a boyfriend who she's fully committed to.

"They won't hurt her?"

"It shouldn't. She needs fluids though so she can nurse." He put the puppy down again.

Sharon felt herself relaxing now. For the first time all day, she smiled. "I don't know how to thank you."

"You just did," he said with that smile that has recently brought butterflies to her stomach.

* * *

 

After he cleaned up, he loaded Molly into his truck while she gathered up the puppies. Once all the puppies were settled, he replaced his bag and threw it back into the truck. He walked around to the drivers side and opened the door and got in.

"I'll let you know how it goes."

"I'm coming."

"Sharon, it would be better if you stayed home and got some rest. You have to work tomorrow and well this is my work." She didn't look convinced. "She will be just fine, I promise."

"In my field we were taught to never promise anything to the patients. We always have to say we will do our best." She offered a tremulous smile.

"Would you feel better if I didn't promise."

"No, but I still think I should come."

"You have work tomorrow."

"You don't know that for sure," she tried to counter.

"I only have one cot, so you would have to sleep on the floor."

"Oh, such a gentleman. You wouldn't let me sleep on it?" He laughed lightly.

"No I wouldn't because you should be sleeping in your soft bed here at home, not at the clinic. I'm more concerned about what your boyfriend might say about our little sleep over."

"How did you know I had a boyfriend?"

"I didn't," he said sounding faintly disappointed. "I'll call you in the morning and let you know how she is."

"Ok, good."

"Don't worry, she will be fine." He noticed her shoulders relax when he said that.

He pulled out of her driveway and waved at her when he pulled out onto the road. She waved back, but he was too far to see it.

* * *

 

She decided she needed a shoulder to lean on, so she called Clint. He was at her house shortly after she called.

"You should have called me sooner," he said before he kissed her.

"I know but you were probably getting ready for your trip you're leaving for tomorrow. And you would have been grossed out."

"Yeah probably. But packing would only take a few minutes."

"Well it's over now, so don't worry about it." She crossed her arms, feeling really annoyed with the way he was talking to her.

"You're lucky your neighbor is a vet I guess."

She glanced out the window over at his house. "Yeah, I'm really lucky to have him as a neighbor," she said thinking about Steve. "I'm going to head to bed. You should get home and get some sleep too before hitting the road tomorrow."

Once they said goodbye, she went to her bed and laid down. Things felt so much different after tonight.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen I know the Clint/Sharon this is really weird please just hang with it for a little longer. Enjoy the banter in this chapter! Might post again tomorrow if not a new chapter will be up on Friday!

After finding his son sleeping on the cot in the recovery room, Mr. Rogers listened to Steve as he explained what happened. Mr. Rogers made a cup of coffee for him and set it down in front of his son.

"Impressive for a rookie."

"Have you ever treated a dog for it?" Steve took a long sip of his coffee, hoping his body would immediately absorb the caffeine and wake him up.

"No, but a horse, yes." Steve's father leaned back in his chair. "It was on the day your mother and I got married. We were driving down a dirt road and this old man flagged us down. I got out and did exactly what you did but on a horse." His father leaned forward again. "Now tell me about this Sharon. Your attitude has changed since you met her."

"My attitude?"

"It seems like you found something good is all I'm saying."

Steve laughed and shook his head. "You're crazy, dad." He rubbed the back of his. "She has a boyfriend anyways."

"Ah, I see." He looked at his son. He wanted nothing more for him to find the one. "You should go home and get some sleep. I will keep an eye on Molly."

"I don't want to just dump her on you..."

"You're not. Besides you are exhausted. And it's Friday aka your day off. Get out of here."

Steve stood up and said goodbye to Molly and the puppies. "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime son."

* * *

 

He pulled into his driveway and got out of his car. He stretched his arms over his head while yawning. He looked over at Sharon's house and decided to go update her. As he walked up her driveway, he picked up her newspaper for her. He walked up her stairs and was about to knock on her door when she opened it suddenly.

"Oh...um, hello Steve." She took a step outside and stood before him. "I was going to call you." She was wearing a simple blue dress with her hair wavy. He noted again how attractive she was. In more ways than just physical. She just seemed so...real.

"Since I just got home and saw your car was still here, I decided I could pass along the news that Molly is doing perfectly fine. I just figured I could do it in person."

"Yeah, are you sure she's fine?"

"Oh yes. I did some x ray's last night and there was no bleeding. She is more upbeat today and she drank a lot of water. All good signs she will be back to normal in just a few short days." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Am I able to see her?"

"Sure you can. You can see her anytime. She still might be a little doped up from the drug I gave her to get some x rays." He played with the newspaper. "The puppies are also doing great. They are absolutely adorable. Make sure you don't name them though. Naming them makes it harder to let them go."

She smiled. "I just want to say thank you again. I really don't know how to repay you." She ran a hand through her hair.

He waved her off. "I was happy to help. It is my job after all." He held out the newspaper for her. "Which reminds me, I saved you a trip down the driveway." She took it from him.

"Thank you for saving me that walk." He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck as they stood their awkwardly. "Would you like a cup of coffee? I just made some."

"I'll pass on that. I would rather not be awake while sleeping." She hit herself internally for sounding like a fool.

"Funny," she laughed despite how stupid she felt.

"I try," he again laughed at her embarrassment. "How about a rain check on that coffee though?"

"I would like that."

He smiled to himself and nodded. "Well I'm going to go crash, do you want me to meet you at the clinic?"

"Sure," she said. "What time works for you?"

"Whatever time works best for you," he smiled charmingly which earned him another chuckle.

"Alright, how about at noon? Is that good for you?"

"I'll be there," he promised. He took a few steps backwards without turning away from her. "By the way, you look fantastic in that dress." He spun around and jogged back to his house, leaving her speechless at her door.

* * *

 

What happened?

That question never left her mind all morning as she replayed his little visit over and over in her head. She was working on auto pilot this morning as she treated all the babies and kids. She didn't know if Steve had actually been flirting with her, or that she actually liked it.

She wished for the billionth time she had a friend in this town that she could talk to. The nurses in this office didn't necessarily like her because she made more money than them as a glorified nurse basically.

After she finished with the last kid on her morning schedule, she went to her office and closed her door. She thought that surely he hadn't been flirting with her. He knew she had a boyfriend. She even went the extra mile to tell him she was fully committed to her boyfriend. She concluded it was just a friendly compliment. It probably didn't mean anything anyways. And after last night, she was beginning to see him as a friend (since he did save his dogs life and all). Her friend. No, her first friend of this lovely town. She liked that, a lot. Clint probably wouldn't like her first friend though. He's got great eyes and probably a fantastic body. Yeah, Clint wouldn't like him (and would be a little jealous of Steve's physique). Clint wasn't the jealous type, but she wasn't stupid enough to know he wouldn't like her flirty neighbor as a friend. As innocent as the trip to the vet might be- and it was going to be innocent, mind you- it had a vaguely unfaithful feeling about it.

She was going crazy and there was nothing she could do about it. She grabbed her purse and made her way to her car. She pulled into the parking lot at the clinic and took a deep breath. "You're just visiting your recovering dog. There's nothing flirtatious or romantic about this, just dogs, poop, and a lot of fur. He can flirt all he wants. I know what I want out of life. I'm sure of it." She shook her head and got out of the car. When she entered the clinic, the receptionist took her to the recovery room.

Lucky for her, Molly was in the only one in there. She went over to her dog and started petting her. "Thank god you're alright. You scared the shit out of me."

"I'm glad she's ok too." Sharon jumped when he suddenly started speaking.

"Are you familiar with knocking before entering?" She held her hand over her heart and felt her heart racing. "I could have been naked in here."

"I don't think that is legal to do that here in this veterinarian office," he said with that stupid sexy smile he has.

"You know what I mean." She sighed to collect herself.

"I was wrong, I believe she can go home tonight. She has had a quick recovery so far." Molly hurried over to Steve where he started playing with her and talking in that voice that guys use to impress women while around dogs. Boy was she paranoid.

"Well that's great news."

"And her puppies are doing great as well," he went on. "If you bring them home, make sure you make some sort of a pen for them with. Tons of newspapers. Otherwise there will be poop everywhere."

She barely heard him, despite herself, she noted again how good he looked. She couldn't get past that every time she saw him. His appearance would immediately make her stomach do flips, and for the life of her, she had no idea why. He was tall and perfectly muscular. He smiled after almost every sentence that came out of his mouth. His teeth were perfectly white. He was very fit, or at least looked like he was.

So what was it about him?

All this would be much easier if he was ugly. This situation might be completely different if he was. But she was done now. She wouldn't be taken in anymore. She'd finish up here, wave to him in a neighborly way in the future, and get back to living her life without distraction.

"You look distracted. Everything okay?"

"Just tired," she lied. She motioned to Molly. "She seems to really like you."

Almost as if it was planned, Molly licked his face and the smile was on his face again. This was killing her. "I seem to have that effect." Yeah you do. She watched him stand up swiftly. "So what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Molly?"

"What about Molly?"

He frowned for the first time ever. He slowed his words down for her. "Do you want to take her home tonight?"

She cleared her throat while she kicked herself internally. "Oh yeah, I'll take her home as long as it won't hurt her."

"She'll be good. She's young and healthy. Besides she's come a long way already." He pet her head. "She was one lucky dog."

Sharon crossed her arms. "Yes she was."

He took a deep angry breath. "You know, I thought you be more excited about her being okay."

"I am excited."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She was sort of offended.

"I don't know." He scratched the little bit of facial hair on his jaw. "The way you showed up at my door made me believe you might show a little more emotion. Not just about Molly, but the fact I was there to help." He put his hands in his pockets.

"I already told you I appreciated it. How many times do I have to thank you?"

"I'm not sure. How many do you think?"

"I wasn't the one who asked."

He smiled again just to annoy her. "Actually you were."

She huffed. "Fine. Thank you so much for saving my dog. That was a real act of heroism, Captain America." She looked at him, trying to keep a straight face. When he burst out laughing she joined in with him too.

He regained his composure and smiled at her. "You're welcome." They looked at each other for a long moment. "Are you only serious around me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like every time we talk, you are extremely serious with me. I feel like you live a double life of being serious with me and fun with your patients."

She wanted to say something, but no words came out of her mouth.

"I'm just curious."

"About what?" Again she wanted to kick herself.

"About whether this is your personality all the time, or if it's just me. If it's the latter, then I'm flattered." There he goes again flirting.

She wanted to say something witty and unexpected, but all she could do was chuckle.

"I'm glad you're here for another reason too." She raised her eyebrow. "My friends are coming over tomorrow for a little get-together and thought you should swing by."

She blinked, unsure if she heard him right. "To your house?"

"Yes."

"Like a date?"

"No like a party were all my friends come over and you come too so you can meet some new people. I'm hooking up the parasail for the first time this year so it should be a blast." He smiled again to try and convince her.

"Are there many couples?"

"All but me are married."

"I don't think it's a good idea. I have a boyfriend."

"Fantastic, bring him along."

"He's away on business...until Wednesday...if you really wanted it know." Kicking herself again internally.

"If you don't have anything else to do, you can come over and hangout."

"It's still not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I'm deeply in love with him. He's going to ask me to marry him soon."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You can still be in love with him and hangout with my friends. It will be tons of fun. It's not going to be super hot tomorrow, which is hard to come by these days. Have you ever been parasailing?"

"No, that's not the point."

"He wouldn't like it."

"Exactly."

"So you're in love with a man who wants to keep you locked up in your house all day and shield you from having fun while he's away."

"Not at all."

"Then he doesn't want you to meet new people?"

"Of course he does!"

"Then it's settled," he clapped his hands once, startling her. "Everyone will be over at about 10. All you need to bring is a bathing suit. We got beer and food."

"I don't think it's..."

He held his hands up. "Tell you what, no pressure. You are welcome to come or stay home. I just figured it would be a good way to get to know each other."

She knows she should say no. She swallowed through the dryness in her throat. "Maybe I will," she said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this super long chapter! I think you'll like the development! I'll post again on Saturday or Sunday! 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Saturday started off like a dream for Sharon. After she got her coffee, things started going down hill again. She went to check on Molly and was happy to see her almost back to normal. She assumed the puppies were healthy too, since she never had any experience with puppies. She will admit they are adorable, but she won't fall for it. She was worried that she won't find any homes though. She has been tempted to name them but she remembered what Steve told her.

There was a smell that radiated from her garage which had the power to kill someone. She started to gag just as she remember Steve told her about setting up some sort of a pen for them. Who knew puppies could poop this much? There was poop all over the place. She bravely held her breath and cleaned up the garage.

Steve was definitely the one to blame for this. He should have warned her about the bowel system of these puppies. Or did he say something about that at the office?

Speaking of Steve, she decided she was going to skip his so called "get-together" that wasn't a trap to get her on a "date". Then she started thinking about how Clint seems to be the only one having fun in their relationship these days. She shook her head so she would stop thinking about it.

She grabbed her cup of coffee and sat out on her back deck. And almost as if was planned, Steve appeared in his yard. He had on swim trunks that went down to just above his knees. He was doing Sharon a favor by not wearing a shirt to show off his perfect arm and back muscles. She didn't even need to see the front of him to know he has perfect abs too. She stood up and tried to sneak inside before he saw her.

"Morning, Sharon!" He waved to her. "It's already a perfect day today." He walked through the hedges so he was in her yard now.

"Hi, Steve," she said with a small smile.

"How's Molly?" She looked everywhere but at him. His abs and biceps suddenly made her knees feel like they were going to give out.

"She's great." Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat with a smile. "She's fine." She shrugged her shoulders.

He smiled again at her behavior. "Are the pups good too?"

"I guess their okay. They just pooped all over my garage so their digestive systems seem to be working better than expected."

"They tend to do that. Did you set up the pen?"

"I did." She crossed her arms.

"Liar."

"Am not!" He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her questioningly. "Fine, I didn't set one up."

"Why not?"

"I've been really distracted." By you, she thought to herself.

"By what?"

"I'm thinking about reprinting some walls.." Lie. "Can a girl live?" He laughed at her again.

"Anyways, I'll see you at my house at 10, right?"

"About that, it's not a good idea?"

"How is it a bad idea?"

"Because," she tried to sound very adult and grown up when she said that.

"Oh, right." He sounded like a parent which made her feel guilty.

"Glad we settled that."

"Have I done something to upset you?"

Yes, we could start with his exposed body, she thought to herself. "No."

"Then why are you acting this way?"

"I'm not acting weirdly if that's what you're implying."

It's like all of a sudden his friendly and flirty tone disappeared and looked like it was never coming back. "Yes you are. I drop off a basket when you first moved here, I saved your dog and stayed awake with her, I invite you, innocently, to come have some fun with my friends and I, and all you can do is yell at me and avoid me. I'm trying with every nerve in my body to earn your trust and friendship, but you keep pushing me away. I just want to know why you are doing this to me."

"Why?"

"Yeah," he said in a steady tone. "Why?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Because," she said.

"Because why?" He sounded almost like he was begging her.

"It's none of your business, Steve," she said just above a whisper. He was right about her behavior.

He turned and walked back across her yard, tired of trying to talk to her anymore.

"Wait!" She called out. He stopped and turned around to face her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm so sincerely sorry for the way I have been treating you. I'm sorry I made you feel like I'm not grateful for the things you've done for me."

"And?"

"I've been wrong..."

"About?"

"About you." She took a deep breath. "You're right I haven't been treating you the way you should be treated. I would rather not share why I've been doing this to you." He crossed his arms and waited for more. "Can we start over?"

He stood there and thought about it. While he thought about it, she walked down her stairs so she was standing in the grass as well. "I'm not sure."

"What?"

"You heard me. The last thing I need in my life is a crazy neighbor, no offense."

"That's not fair."

"Fine. I'll tell you what, if you really want to start over, then I'm willing to start over."

"I am very ready to start over."

"In that case..." He walked across the yard and stood in front of Sharon with a friendly smile on his face. "My name is Steve Rogers. I live in that nice little home right over their." He pointed to his house.

She let out a small laugh. "I'm Sharon Carter. I'm the lucky resident of this house." He laughed and held his hand out for her to shake it, which she happily did.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a physicians assistant." She felt like this was a tad ridiculous. "What do you do?"

"I'm the local vet," he said. "Where are you from?"

"Savannah, Georgia," she replied. "Where are you from?"

"Right her in the lovely town of Beaufort, North Carolina."

"Do you like it here?"

"It's amazing. Perfect place to live." He paused. "And the neighbors are nice, for the most part."

"So I've been told. In fact, I know the vet here in town who is good for emergency runs. Don't get that in the city."

"No you don't." He smiled again. "Hey, my friends and I are going out on my boat today. Care to join us?"

"I would but I have to build a pen for some puppies."

"Need some help? I'm good with a hammer and have some extra wood. It won't take long."

She hesitated for a moment. "In that case, I'd love to join you guys."

* * *

 

Steve was true to his word, still basically naked though. He put the wood down then jogged back to his garage and grabbed his toolbox.

She could tell he was trying so hard to ignore the smell, since he built that pen faster than it should take. It made her smile though that he didn't complain.

"Just put some newspaper down in there and it should reduce the smell of poop to a small area of your garage."

She nodded in response with a small smile.

"I still have a few things to get ready. I'll see you at my house soon." He smiled and jogged back to his house with his toolbox in hand.

Sharon did as she was told then made her way to her bedroom. She found the bathing suits she owns. One is a one piece, the other is a bikini. This should be a obvious choice for her. But her one piece made her look like her mom on their family vacations when she was a toddler. However she was going on a boat with a single, annoying, and very flirtatious male. She would have to live with the once piece. She started putting the one piece on and thought how she was wearing it just so Clint didn't get mad at her.

She took it off and tossed it on her bed. She grabbed the bikini and put it on. She wanted to wear it because that was what she was most comfortable in. She smiled at herself for again standing up for herself.

* * *

 

"You actually had the balls to invite your neighbor over?" Bucky, laughed. "I didn't know you had it in ya?"

"Just take it easy on her, would ya?"

"I will. Jeez, lighten up a little. What's her name?"

Steve knotted the rope to hold the boat in place on the dock before responding. "Sharon," he said looking up at his friend.

"And is she single?"

"She has a boyfriend."

Bucky took off his sunglasses and looked at his friend. "Has that honestly ever stopped you before?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Would you shut up. She should be here any minute."

Bucky looked over his shoulder. "This must be her. Just your type Cap." He winked at him and put his sunglasses on.

"Don't go too hard on her, please."

"I'll be good, don't worry."

* * *

 

"Hi I'm Bucky Barnes! I'm that guys childhood best friend and life counselor. And you are?"

"Sharon Carter." She smiled at him, noticing how he joked around with Steve.

"You ready for a great day of skinny-dipping?"

"That wasn't what Steve told me we were doing." She knew it. He had other plans to flirt with her.

"He probably didn't tell you he was a nudist either."

Sharon almost choked on the air when he told her that. But she thought about it for a second. It explains why he is always half dressed. Her thoughts were stopped when Bucky started to laugh, hysterically.

"I was kidding! Oh my god, you thought I was serious!" His laughter caused her to chuckle a little bit.

"I was just playing along," she lied.

"Man you are sensitive!" He opened a beer and took a sip. "Steve told me you are a physicians assistant."

"He would be correct."

"How is it?"

"The kids are fantastic, the parents though drive me crazy. What do you do?"

"I've given myself the title of professional dad."

For the first time today, Sharon laughed like her normal self and started to feel herself relax. "So when is everyone else coming."

"They should be coming soon. Sam and Tony are also his childhood friends. We stayed pretty close even though Steve is still living the bachelor life. You'll like all the wives. The kids though..."

She laughed again. "Believe me, I can handle some rowdy kids." Bucky nodded and they stood there in silence for a few moments.

"So have you ever been parasailing before?"

"No, and I don't think I will today."

"You should! Steve is so good at it. He can take you up!" She smiled.

"I don't know."

Bucky laughed. "I've got a good feeling you'll change your mind." There was children laughing crying and laughing as the families rounded the house. "Kiss this relaxed morning goodbye." He waved to the families and his wife. "Better go claim a seat before the shit show gets on board."

Sharon walked down to the boat. She stepped onto the boat and took a seat. Out of no where Steve popped up. "Hello again, Sharon." He held his hand out to help her down onto the boat.

"Nice to see you, again, Steve." She took his hand and slowly made her way down into the boat.

"Sharon!" Bucky shouted from the dock. "Pick a better seat than that!"

"Just let me know if he is bothering you." Steve told her. He then pulled his hand away from hers when he realized they were still holding hands.

"He won't bother me." She smiled sweetly. "He's very funny." She walked away and sat down in the back of the boat.

Sharon was introduced to Sam, Bucky, and Tony and their families. There were too many kids to remember all their names.

"Everyone ready?" Steve called out.

"Yeah!" Kids said in unison. Steve pushed the boat away from the dock and they were on their way. Sharon watched the muscles in his body flex while he pushed the boat.

Sharon leaned over to Bucky's wife Natasha when they really started picking up speed. "Where are we going?"

"I'm willing to bet we will go to Cape Lookout. But then again it all depends on the Captain's mood, so really I don't know. Hang on a second..." She turned towards Steve. "Hey, Steve! Can I drive?"

Steve turned around slightly. "Since when do you want to drive?"

"Right now."

"Maybe later."

"I really want to drive Cap." With her eyes she motioned to Sharon so he could pick up on the hint.

"Why?"

She shook her head. "I'll be back in a while, Sharon." She smiled and stood up. She walked right over to Steve and was telling him something rather sternly. After about a minute, Steve walked over and sat next to Sharon.

"Hey, Sharon." She looked over at Natasha who was at the wheel pretending not to look at them.

"Hello, Steve."

"Should be a lot of fun today, huh?"

"Hopefully it doesn't get too windy." Misty said while picking up a crying child.

Sharon started to worry. "What happens if it gets too windy?"

"Nothing good when you're parasailing." He saw the fear in her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't send anyone up if I suspect there's a problem." He smiled at her to reassure her.

"I hope not," Misty chimed in again. "I will volunteer Sam to be the first."

"Why?"

"He didn't paint our bedroom like he promised. Did it get painted? No. It will teach him a lesson about talking a big game again."

"He will have to get in line. Pepper already secured first spot for Tony. Something about not spending time with the family after work."

Sharon felt like an outsider listening to them banter. She actually wished that Bucky hadn't left her side. She realized that he was the closest thing to a friend in this town right now.

Steve leaned back after talking to Misty and planted his feet wide. "So how do you like Buck?"

"I like him. He's rather unique."

"Did you meet everyone else?"

"Yes, but very briefly."

"They are a fantastic group of people. They are more like family than friends."

She studied him for a while. "Natasha sent you back here, didn't she?"

"She reminded me you are my guest and I shouldn't be rude." He smiled briefly.

"You can go back to driving, I'm having a great time with this pretty view."

"It's okay, Nat has it under control."

"Hey Steve, is this good!" Natasha asked from the front of the boat.

"A little farther! Gotta make sure we have plenty of room since we have a rookie on board!" Natasha nodded and accelerated the boat again.

"How does this work?" She asked, starting to think she might want to do it.

"Parasailing? It's easy. I'll put a harness on you, attach you to the parachute then crank you up in the sky as the boat gets moving. You'll have the best view of Beaufort and the lighthouse up there. You might be able to see dolphins, stingrays, fish, and sharks while you're up there too."

"Sharks?" She didn't like the sound of that.

"Yeah but they aren't out until dusk. And I almost forgot, we can dip your feet in the water too."

"Not if there's sharks."

"There won't be, I promise." She looked at him still unconvinced. "I will go up with you, if you want."

She smiled again at his thoughtfulness. "I'll think about it. I'm not promising anything though." He smiled happily at her.

"Fair enough."

"Of course you're assuming you and I will go up together."

He winked at her. "Of course."

Sharon tried to ignore the flipping sensation in her stomach. She reached for her bag and put some sunscreen on. "Bucky mentioned you are a world traveler."

"I have done a fair share of traveling."

"Where was your favorite place to go?"

"It's not that simple."

"Ok where would you recommend I go?"

"It's not like that. Traveling has less to do with seeing things than experiencing them. I traveled to experience something new. I would pick a random place and would go no matter how much money I had. At times, though, it was like I was destined to take the trip." He paused, looking directly at her. "But I'm different now than I was then. Just like I was different at the end of the trip than if been at the beginning. And I'll be different tomorrow than I am today. I can never replicate a trip. Even if I went to the same place and met the same people, it wouldn't be the same. To me, traveling should be something new every time. Meeting people, learning to not only appreciate a different culture, but really enjoy it like a local, following whatever impulse strikes you. So how do I recommend a trip to someone if I don't even know what to expect. My advice is write down places on index cards, pick one out, then go. Don't worry about money, just go their and experience. It will be something you remember forever."

Sharon was silent as she digested this. "Wow."

"What?"

"You make it sound so...romantic."

They sat in comfortable silence until Natasha slowed the boat down.

"We're ready," Steve told Sharon. He stood up and got the parachute out. "Are you up for a new experience?"

Sharon took a deep breath. "I can't wait."

* * *

 

Steve went back to driving the boat when the parasailing began. First up was Tony and Pepper. Then Bucky and Natasha went up followed by Sam and Misty. Even though they had been bickering earlier she could how much they loved each other. She was actually moved by the way the love each other. Finally it was Sharon's turn. From the front of the boat she saw raise his beer to her.

"Here's to getting to know ya, kid."

Steve put his harness down on the ledge. "Let me help you with your harness." He offered his hand to her so she could step up on the platform. She could feel the warmth in his hand when she stepped up. He pointed to two loops on the harness. "Step into those, then pull it up. I'll tighten it for you."

"That's it?"

"Almost. When you sit on the platform, make sure the wide strap is under your thighs. And you might want to take off your shirt, unless you don't mind getting it wet."

She took off her shirt trying not to be nervous. Steve hooked her straps to the bar, then his own, then motioned for her to sit.

"Just relax and enjoy, okay?" She nodded and he smiled.

Sam pushed the throttle and the chute filled and they were lifted off the platform. Sharon was gripping the canvas straps so hard that her knuckles turned white. She felt Steve touch her shoulder.

"Look over there!" He pointed to the ocean. "There's a ray! Can you see it?" She nodded when she saw it. "There's some dolphins over there!" He pointed again.

She could feel herself relax as she took in the amazing view of everything.

"Are you willing to be dipped?"

She looked over at him and smiled happily. "Let's do it!"

Steve gave Sam a series of hand signals. The parachute began to descend quickly to the water. She lifted her legs but she still got wet. The cool water felt amazing as she slowly was lowered into the water. When she thought they would have to start treading water, Sam pushed the throttle forward again.

"See! That wasn't so bad!" Steve nudged her shoulder.

She couldn't hide her grin. "Can we do it again?"

* * *

 

After parasailing for a little longer, Steve and Sharon were lowered back down to the boat. Steve took over driving and took them to Cape Lookout. Once they got there, Bucky threw the anchor overboard and everyone got out. Sharon helped the families carry the food and such to shore.

After everything was set up, she sat down in the sand, sort of away from everyone else. Bucky joined her over there as well.

"How was it with Steve?"

"Fine."

"Just to remind you, he is my best friend."

"So?"

"I'm just saying I really know him."

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I think he likes you."

"And I think you're in seventh grade still."

"What? You don't care?"

"No."

"Because you have a boyfriend?"

"Among other reasons."

Bucky laughed. They were silent for a few minutes. "Steve isn't seeing anyone. He's not only single, but he's eligible."

"I wasn't curious."

"Right because you have a boyfriend."

"Yes but even if I didn't have a boyfriend, I wouldn't have been curious."

"Yes of course. How could I have been so wrong?" Bucky laughed. "I guess I'm fooled by the way you keep staring at him."

"I haven't been staring."

"Don't be so touchy. After all, he's been staring at you, too."

* * *

 

When she heard the food was ready, she stood up and walked over to the grill area. Over her shoulder she saw Steve herding kids forward like a cattle dog would do.

"Enjoy watching me chase kids around the beach?" He came up behind her, breathing heavily.

"You look like a natural."

"I love to play, not herd." He flashed a quick smile. "You hungry?"

"Starved."

They got their food then walked away from his friends. They sat down near each other, but not touching at all. They began eating their food. They talked like friends who had known each other for years for the next half hour.

Just then a frisbee landed near Sharon, and she saw Tony approaching.

"I think it's time we save Bucky." He pointed to the frisbee.

"Are you saying they need some entertainment?" Steve asked.

"We don't have a choice."

Steve looked at Sharon. "Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead."

He stood up and shouted in the toddlers direction, "Hey kids? Are you ready to to see the World Champion frisbee expert in action?"

"Yay!!!" The kids cheered.

"Got to go." He looked down at her and winked. "I have fans to please."

Sharon watched him jog down to where the kids were, following his movements and feeling something oddly like affection.

Spending time with Steve was not how she imagined it would be. There were no attempts to impress and he seemed to know exactly what to say, or stay quiet. It was that feeling of engagement that led her to embark on a relationship with Clint. It wasn't only the physical excitement she felt on nights they spent together; more than that, she craved the comfort she experienced during those quiet moments they spent talking or when he held her hand gently as they walk through the parking lot to dinner. Those were the moments she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Moments like that lately had been fewer and farther between.

She reflected on this as she watched Steve dive for the frisbee. The kids laughed when he missed and splashed around in the water. He continued to do this over and over again. He enjoyed performing for the kids, which only increased her feelings of warmth towards him. She was still trying to make sense of her reaction to Steve. When he finally emerged from the ocean and started toward her, shaking the water from his hair. He plopped down next to her, and when they accidentally touched, Sharon had the briefest flash of them sitting together just like this on a hundred different weekends.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really really hope you guys enjoy what goes down in this chapter.

Eventually the group headed back to Steve's house where they all left soon after arriving due to kids who needed sleep after a long day in the sun. Bucky was the only left when the families were gone.

"I guess I should be on my way, too. Nat will ignore me for a week if I'm not there to help with the kids." Bucky said while stretching his arms over his head. "Let me say goodbye to Steve." Bucky leaned over the deck railing. "Hey Steve! I'm outta here! Thanks for today!"

"Glad you could come!" He said with a wave.

"You might want to toss something on the grill. Sharon just told me she's starving again!"

Sharon saw Steve give her a thumbs up. "I'll be up in a minute to start the grill! Just let me finish up here!" Steve shouted to them.

Sharon punched Bucky's arm. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because he likes to have people around."

"What if I just want to go home?"

"You can tell him you changed your mind, he won't care. And besides you just said what if so you're happy I asked for you." He hugged her quickly. "I look forward to your wedding, Mrs. Rogers." He walked away before she could beat this shit out of him for saying that.

By then Steve had made his way up to the dock. For the first time today he decided that wearing a shirt would be a good thing to do.

"Give me a second to get the coals going." Steve went to the grill and started it. "Shrimp okay with you?"

"Sounds amazing." She said with a smile. She went over to the table and took a seat, watching him work.

'You're dining alone tonight, of course,' a little voice whispered.

But was that really a problem? Bucky was right, she was hungry again and her neighbor had food. Common Sense 101. It's not like she was going to sleep with him. She had zero intention to even kiss him. They were friends, nothing more, nothing less. And if Clint was here, Steve would have invited him over as well. She shook her head so she could stop thinking.

"So how long until dinner?" She stood up and walked over to where he was standing.

"Just a few minutes."

"They look great."

"Would you like something to drink? There's leftover drinks in the cooler over there." He pointed to the other side of the deck.

As she crossed the deck, Steve tried to ignore the gentle sway of her hips. She got two beers and handed one to him when she got back, feeling her fingers graze his. He opened his bottle and took a long pull. He watched her look at the sunset.

"This is why I bought my place," she finally said. "For this view."

"It's spectacular, isn't it?" He cleared his throat and looked out over the water.

She quickly looked over at him and saw how handsome he looked with setting sun shining against his face. She smiled to cover up the flips her stomach was doing. "Can I get anything for you?"

"How about some plates and silverware, if you don't mind."

"I'll be back in a minute."

As soon as she turned to enter his house, Steve found himself studying her. There was something about Sharon that definitely interested him. It wasn't simply that she was attractive, there're pretty women everywhere. There was something about her straightforward intelligence and unforced humor that suggested a grounded sense of right and wrong. Beauty and common sense were a rare combination, yet he doubted she was even aware she possessed it.

When she returned, the shrimp was ready. He put a few on each plate, the put a few slices of pineapple on their plates as well. They walked over to the table and began eating as they watched the sunset in silence.

"This is fantastic," she said.

"Thank you."

She pointed to his boat with her fork. "Are you going out again tomorrow."

"I don't think so. I'll probably go riding tomorrow."

"Horseback riding?"

He shook his head as he swallowed. "Motorcycle. I bought an older bike a long time ago. I wanted to restore it then turn it around for a quick profit, but I fell in love with it so I couldn't let it go."

"Sounds rewarding."

"Pointless is actually the word you were looking for. It's hard finding parts when they need replaced."

The beer was going down easy. "I don't even change my own oil so I'm not the right one to complain to."

"Have you ever gone riding?"

"Negative. Too dangerous."

"Danger depends on the driver and conditions."

"I don't trust the other drivers on the road."

"True. I like to live life on the edge."

"I've noticed that about your personality."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Neither. But it's unpredictable. Especially when I try to reconcile it with the fact that you're a vet. It's such a stable sounding profession. When I think of a vet of a small town, I immediately think of a family man with a perfect wife and perfect kids."

"In other words, boring. Like the most exciting thing I do is golf."

She thought of Clint. "There are worse things."

"I am a family man, just to let you know. Except for the family part."

She laughed. "Isn't that a prerequisite?"

"I think that being a family man is more about having the proper worldview than the actual condition of having a family."

"Nice try." She squinted at him feeling the effects of the beer. "I don't see you as ever being married. You seem like the guy who dates a lot of girls and will be a bachelor until you die."

"You are not the first person to say that. If I didn't know better, I'd say you spent too much time with my friends today."

"They were very flattering."

"That's why I take them on the boat."

"I feel like you're trying to impress me."

"Maybe I am. Tell me about your boyfriend. Is he a family man, too?"

"None of your business."

"Alright tell me about where you grew up."

"Very hot and very humid."

"Are you always this vague?"

"I think a little mystery keeps things interesting."

"Does your boyfriend think that, too?"

"My boyfriend knows me."

"Is he tall?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. I'm just keeping conversation."

They sat there in silence for a bit until Sharon broke the silence. "I have a stupid question about vet school." She adjusted herself so she was comfortable again. "Do you have to know the anatomy of every animal?"

He laughed. "No, thankfully. We know the major ones. Dog, cat, horses, cow, pig, and chicken."

"And you know about all of them?"

"Yes I do."

"Wow and I thought human anatomy was hard." She said to herself.

"Yeah but I also don't get sued if a chicken dies on me. Your responsibility is much greater, especially with kids." He paused. "And I bet you're great with them."

"What makes you say that?"

"You have an aura of kindness and patience...except when you talk to me."

"I think you got too much sun today."

"Probably." He pointed to her bottle. "Can I get you another?"

"I better not..."

"No one will know." He stood up and grabbed his bottle.

"That's not the point. I don't want to give you the wrong impression of me."

"I believe that would be impossible."

"I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate it."

"Well he isn't here so I don't see the problem."

"Fine." She sighed. "Last one."

He brought over two more bottles and opened hers. She knew she shouldn't be doing this as she started to feel the buzz.

"You'd like him. He's a nice guy." She said to reestablish some boundaries.

"I'm sure he is."

"He is tall, to answer your earlier question."

"I thought you didn't want to talk about him."

"I don't. I just want you to know I love him."

"Love is a wonderful thing. It makes life worthwhile. I love being in love."

"This coming from a man who has so much experience with love. True love lasts forever."

"Poets always say that true love ends in tragedy."

"And you're a poet?"

"No. I'm just passing along the message." They sat there in silence again. "Do you want to get in the hot tub?"

"I'm not sure."

"How about just our feet?"

"I could handle that."

"It's a start."

"And a finish."

They walked over to the hot tub. Steve took off the cover then tested the water. "Alright it's good to go. Ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't show too much skin." They sat down on the edge and put their feet in the water. "What are you thinking about?" He asked her after a while.

"The stars. I got an astronomy book and I want to see if I remember anything."

"Do you?"

"Just the obvious ones." She pointed to the house. "Go straight up from the chimney about two fists and you'll see Orion's Belt. Betelgeuse is on Orion's left shoulder, and Rigel is the name of his foot. He has two hunting dogs. The bright star over there is Sirius, and that's part of Canis Major, and Procyon is part of Canis Minor."

He spotted most of what she pointed out. "I'm not sure I see the other two."

"I can't either, I just know they're there."

He pointed over her shoulder. "I know that's the Big Dipper."

"It's also known as Big Bear, or Ursa Major." They stared at the sky. "I just love the names, even if I can't see them. Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, the Pleiades, Antinous, Cassiopeia...their names sound like music."

"I take it this is a new hobby?"

"No I did this to try and impress people. So far you have been the only one who seems to be interested, or pretending to be into it."

"I'm not pretending...I am honestly very intrigued by you knowledge."

"I probably am boring you."

"Not at all, in fact, I'll never look at stars the same way again."

"You're teasing me."

"Absolutely not," he said seriously.

His gaze held hers. She had the sudden feeling that he was about to kiss her, and she quickly turned away. Sharon moved her feet in the water nervously, knowing she should leave.

"I should get going. I am suddenly really tired."

He stood and offered a hand. When she took it, she felt the warmth and strength of it. "I'll walk you back."

"I can find my way."

"Just to the bushes, then."

They walked to the bushes in a comfortable silence. Sharon turned to him when they reached the bushes. "I had a wonderful time today. And tonight, too."

"So did I. Thanks for the astronomy lesson."

"I'll do better next time. I'll impress you with my stellar knowledge."

He laughed at her pun. "You just came up with that?"

"I have to have a punch line to follow up my lessons."

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Just grocery shopping, why?"

"Do you want to join me on my motorcycle?"

She smiled as she pushed the guilt she would feel about Clint. "Sure. What time?"

"How about eleven? It will give you a chance to sleep in."

She nodded. "See you tomorrow."

For an instant, she thought she'd simply turn and leave. But again their eyes met and held for just a beat too long, and before she realized what was happening. Steve placed a hand on her hip and pulled her towards him. He kissed her, his lips neither soft nor hard against hers. It took a moment for her brain to register what was happening. For just one moment she enjoyed what was happening very much until she came to her senses and pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" She gasped.

"I couldn't help it." He shrugged, seeming not the least bit apologetic. "It just seemed like the right thing to do."

"You know I have a boyfriend." Deep down she didn't mind the kiss and hating herself for it.

"I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable."

"It's fine. Let's forget about it. But make sure it never happens again."

"Okay."

She turned and started through the bushes, breathing fast. He kissed her! She still couldn't believe it. Though she intended to march straight to her door, making sure he realized how adamant she'd been about not wanting it to happen again, she snuck a peek over her shoulder and cursed herself when he saw her. He raised his hand and waved.

"See you tomorrow," he called out.

She didn't respond, since there was no need to. The thought of what might happen tomorrow left her with a sense of dread. Why did he have to ruin things? Why couldn't they just be neighbors and friends? Why had it ended like this?

She pulled the slider closed behind her and marched to her bedroom, doing her best to work up the anger she felt the situation merited. It should have worked, but for shaky legs and hammering heart, and the lingering realization that Steve Rogers found her desirable enough to want to kiss her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry I didn't update, I was really busy with school and spring break. Enjoy this chapter!

"Good morning," Clint said into the phone.

"Oh...hey. How's the trip so far?" Sharon looked over at her clock to see what time it was.

"Great. Listen I was calling to say sorry for not calling at all. As soon as I got here then fun started!"

"It's okay. I understand."

"You okay? You don't sound like yourself."

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

She could hear him rustling, assuming he was getting dressed. "Okay good. I wish you could have come with me. It would be a lot more fun if you were here."

"You know I couldn't get off work."

"I know. But I wanted to say it anyway. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Sure. I might be out though." She paused. "Have you ever thought about going to Africa?"

"Africa?"

"Yeah. Just taking off for a while, going on a safari, seeing Victoria Falls? Or we could go to someplace like Greece...actually we could backpack around Europe."

"Not really and even if I wanted to I can't get any time off work. What made you think of all this?"

"I don't know, I heard someone talking about it at work."

* * *

 

While Sharon was talking on the phone, Steve ran up her stairs and knocked on the door. She appeared in the doorway a short moment later pointing to the phone before waving him in. He opened the door and walked in. She pointed to her couch and assumed that was his signal to sit down.

He waited for a long time for her to get off the phone. To him, it felt like forever. Finally she stepped out into the living room.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm a little late, but everyone has felt the need to call me today."

Steve stood up, noticing how much prettier she looked today. "No big deal."

"Let me just get my purse." She disappeared for a minute, then was standing in front of him again. "Ready?"

He nodded and walked to the door, holding it open for her. They walked towards his driveway.

She cleared her throat. "So where are you taking me? I hope it's not a biker bar."

"What's wrong with biker bars?"

"I don't have any tattoos, how would I ever fit in?"

He laughed. "I think you're stereotyping bikers."

"You're avoiding my question."

"We will make our way to Emerald Isle, then make our way back so I can show you something."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise."

"I'm not a fan of surprises." She folded her arms over her chest.

"The only thing I can confirm is you won't be killed."

"Well that makes everything better."

He stopped and pointed to his bike. "There she is."

"Your pride and joy?"

"Frustration and pain."

She hit his arm. "Don't start complaining about the parts again." He laughed and grabbed her a helmet. "What's for lunch?" She asked noticing the basket on the back of the bike.

"The usual."

"Filet mignon, baked Alaska, roasted lamb?" She joked.

"Only the best for you. Now if you're ready to go, feel free to put your helmet on and take a seat on the bike."

She put the helmet on and sat down on the back of the bike. "Where do my feet go?"

He pulled the back pegs down. "On those pegs. Make sure your leg doesn't touch the exhaust so you don't get a really bad burn."

"Aye aye, Cap." She put her feet on the pegs. "Now what about my hands?"

"They go around me, of course."

"Such a ladies man. If you weren't any smoother, I probably wouldn't be able to hold on, would I?"

Steve put his helmet on and got on the bike in one swift motion. It was much quieter than she was expecting.

Steve eased the bike forward, out of the drive, and onto the street. Sharon reached for his hips, and as soon as she touched them, she thought of his hip flexors, which made her blush. It was either keep her hands there or wrap her arms around him, and she didn't feel ready for that. As they started going faster, she told herself not to squeeze, not to move her hands at all, just keep her hands steady, like a statue.

"What was that?" Steve asked, craning his neck.

"What?"

"You said something about hands and a statue?"

She had no idea she said that aloud. She squeezed his hips to provide some cover. "I said keep your hands steady, like a statue, so we don't crash."

"We won't crash. I don't enjoy crashing."

"You've crashed before?"

"A few times actually. Spent two nights in the hospital."

"And you you feel this wasn't important to mention before inviting me?"

"It would have scared you away."

"Just keep your eyes one the road, and don't do anything fancy."

"Ok I can do something fancy..."

"No!"

"Good, I would much rather enjoy the ride." He craned his neck back and she swore she saw him wink. "The most important thing is to keep you safe, so just keep your hands steady, like a statue, okay?"

She wanted to let go of him and roll off the bike and die. He heard her! She held Steve to keep herself steady, very well aware of the outline of his back muscles. Despite her best intentions, she started to accept the reality of the attraction she felt for him. He was so different from her, yet in his presence she felt the possibility of another kind of life, a life she had never imagined could be hers. A life without the rigid limitations others had always set for her.

They continued driving in a dream like silence, allowing her to continue to think. Her hands inadvertently slid from his hips to his stomach. She wondered if he noticed their bodies were pressed together. Though she willed herself to pull away, she didn't.

There was something happening here she didn't quite understand. She loved Clint and wanted to marry him. In the past couple of days, that feeling hadn't changed at all. And yet, spending all this time with Steve seemed...right. Natural and easy, the way things should be.

Steve slowed the bike before turning onto a dirt road, eventually stopping.

"Don't tell me we ran out of gas."

"We didn't. I wanted to see if you wanted to try driving for a bit." He got off the bike and looked at her.

"I've never driven one before." She remained on the bike.

"I know...that's why I asked."

"I don't think so."

"It will be fun! I'll be right behind you so you don't crash. I'll have my hands right next to yours, doing all the shifting until you get used to it."

She took a good look at him then sighed. "I'll allow it."

"Great! Now just slide forward. The right handlebar is the home to the throttle and front brake. On the left is the clutch. The throttle governs your speed. Got it?"

"Yep."

"Your right foot controls the back break. Use your left foot to shift gears."

"Easy."

"Really?"

"No. Just making you feel better about your teaching skills." He laughed and continued to explain to her about shifting. He sat down and pressed himself against her. She looked at him over her shoulder.

"My arms and legs aren't long enough to reach from the back."

She turned her head forward again. "A convenient excuse."

"Which also happens to be true." He put his hands on the handle bars. "Now just put your hands on top of mine. And same with your feet. I just want you to feel what's happening." She put her hands on his, relishing the feel of him against her body.

They went slowly at first, the gradually accelerated. As they did that, Steve explained what he was doing. Once she got over the warm sensation she was feeling in her chest, she started to get the hang of it. He had to flip their placement so his hands were on top now. It wasn't as easy as he described it. At times the motorcycle jerked or she squeezed the handbrake too hard, but he was patient and encouraging. He never raised his voice which took her back to the way he had been with the toddlers on the beach. The was more to Steve than she initially realized.

His touch was becoming lighter and lighter. "You're doing fantastic!"

"This is amazing!"

"Are you ready to ride solo?"

"You're joking." Clint would have never done this with her.

"Not at all."

"Yes," she said enthusiastically. "I think I am."

He got off the bike when she stopped she started slowly, but quickly sped up again. Surprising Steve, she turned the bike around in a slow, wide arc and came racing back toward him. For a moment, he thought she lost control, but she brought the bike to an elegant stop only steps from him. Unable to stop grinning, she ran her words together.

"I can't believe I just did that!"

"You did great!"

"Did you see me turn? I know it was slow, but I made it!"

"I saw."

"This is great. I can see why you love riding." She started going again and he moved out of the way. He watched her enjoy herself. By the time she stopped in front of him, her face was flushed. When she took off her helmet, Steve was sure he'd never seen anyone more alive and beautiful.

"I'm done now." She had a huge smile on her face.

"You sure?"

"Positive." She scooted back and Steve got on the bike, only to feel her wrap her arms around him. As he wound his way back to the highway, he became aware of the curves of her body against his.

Minutes later, Steve slowed the motorcycle, pulling onto a large grassy lot. He turned off his engine and removed his helmet.

"This is what I wanted to show you."

"It's very pretty."

"The view is the best thing about this place."

"Do you come here a lot?"

"Twice a week maybe. It's my thinking spot."

"The neighbors must love you."

"I own it so they can't do a thing about it."

"Really?"

"Why so surprised?"

"It sounds so domestic for you." She said getting off the bike.

"I already own a house..."

"I hear your neighbor is terrific."

"Good one."

"I'm just saying buying this lot seems like you have long term plans."

"And you don't see me like that?"

"Well..."

"You're so good at compliments. Teach me your ways."

She laughed. "Let me try this: you continually surprise me."

"In a good way?"

"Every time."

"Like when you brought Molly to the clinic and realized I'm the vet?"

"Let's not talk about that."

He laughed. "Let's eat then."

He laid the blanket her brought down on the grass. He got out the food he brought. He had some fresh cheese bread he made and chicken salad. He pulled out two jars of sweet tea that he brought for them.

"This looks perfect, Steve." She made herself a sandwich with the bread and chicken salad. "There used to be a house here, right?"

"Yes. I burned it down when I was a kid. Accidentally. Such a long story. But I bought the land from the owner after I was done in college. I had a big plan to build a big house up here, but clearly I've never gotten around to it."

"Are you going to build a house up here?"

"It's apart of the long term plan." He smiled and took a bite of his sandwich. "Ready to tell me about your boyfriend?"

"What's your interest?" She thought back to her conversation with Clint earlier.

"When does your boyfriend get back to town?"

"Wednesday, why?"

"Because I've really enjoyed getting to know you these last couple of days."

"I've enjoyed getting to know you, too."

"Do you want it to end?"

"It doesn't have to end. We will still be neighbors."

"I don't think your boyfriend would let us do this kind of stuff together."

"He wouldn't be happy about it."

"So it's ending."

"We can still be friends."

He stared at her for a moment, then suddenly grabbed his chest like he had been shot. "You really know how to hurt a guy."

"What?"

"There's no such thing as being just friends. Not at our age."

Sharon opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't.

"I'm not even sure I want to be friends."

"Why not?"

"Because most likely I would finding myself wanting more." Again she couldn't speak. "And I don't want you to be friends with me either. It wouldn't be good for your relationship, since there's no doubt, and in the end, you would do something you would regret. Then you would blame me for everything and you would move away."

"Is that so?"

"It's one of those curses of my life to be as charming as I am."

"It's sounds like you have this whole thing figured out."

"I do."

"Except for the part about me falling for you."

"You don't see that happening?"

"I have a boyfriend."

"Are you going to marry him?"

"As soon as he asks. That's why I moved here."

"Why hasn't he asked you yet?"

"Why are you so curious?"

"Because, if I was him," he kept his eyes locked with hers, "I would have asked you a long time ago, no matter where you were in the world. I probably would have asked you after our first date."

She knew he was telling the truth. When she spoke, her voice was soft. "Don't ruin this for me, okay?"

"Ruin what?"

"This. Today. Yesterday. Last night. Hell even the kiss. All of it. Don't ruin it."

"I don't know what you mean."

She took a deep breath. "This weekend has meant a lot to me, mainly because I feel like I made a friend, finally. Actually, a few of them. When I spent time with you and your friends, it reminded me of how much I left behind when I moved here. I mean, I knew what I was doing, and I'm not sorry I did it. Believe it or not, I do love Clint." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Weekends like this most likely won't happen again, and I'm partly reconciled to that, because of Clint. But there's part of me that doesn't want to accept this is a onetime thing, even though we both know it is. When you say things like you just did, I know you don't mean them, it just trivializes everything I'm going through."

"What makes you think I didn't mean what I said? I meant every word. But I understand you don't want to hear it. I just hope your boyfriend realizes how lucky he is to have someone like you in his life. He's a fool if he doesn't. I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable, I won't say it again." He paused looking her over and admiring everything about her. "I had to say it once." He whispered.

She looked away, liking what he said despite herself. Steve turned towards the water, allowing her the silence she needed; unlike Clint, he always seemed to know how to respond.

"We should probably head home." He said after a while.

She nodded in agreement.

They packed up the food and blanket. They put their helmets on and got one the bike again. Sharon clung to Steve's hips, trying and failing to convince herself that he'd done said similar things to dozens of different women in the past.

He pulled into her driveway and turned off the bike. Sharon reluctantly let go of him and got off the bike. She stood in front of him and felt like he was going to kiss her again.

"Thank you for today and the riding lesson."

He smiled softly. "You're welcome. You're a natural." She handed him the helmet. "I'll see you around."

"Hard not to since we live next to each other."

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It wasn't my place to pry like that, or make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's okay. It didn't bother me at all."

"Sure it didn't."

She shrugged. "Well since you were lying, I'd figure I would lie."

He laughed, despite the tension. "Do me a favor? If this whole boyfriend thing doesn't work out, give me a call."

"I might just do that."

"And on that note, I will take my leave." He turned the handlebars and started walking the motorcycle backwards, getting in position to leave her drive. He was about to start the engine when he looked at her again. "Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

She crossed her arms. "I seriously can't believe you just asked me that."

"A man's got to seize the moment."

She took a step backwards despite her reservations, she found herself smiling at his persistence. "How about if I make you dinner tonight instead? At my place. Seven o'clock."

"Sounds great," he said, and a moment later she was standing in the drive, wondering if she had taken a temporary leave of her senses.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. There is no excuse. I can't promise you the next time I'll update but I can promise you that this story is far from over my friends! Enjoy and again I'm really sorry!!

Though they both returned to work on Monday, they spent every moment possible together. They made love on Monday morning before work, had lunch together at a small deli in town, and after work they took the dogs on a walk on the beach. As they walked, holding hands, Molly and Moby wandered the beach together like two old friends. Moby would chase after a seagull and eventually return when he realized Molly didn't follow him.

"That's kind of like us." Sharon squeezed his hand. "One chasing the excitement, the other holding back."

"Which one am I?"

She laughed and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Stopping, he took her in his arms and she lifted her face to kiss him. As they kissed, he wondered if love felt like this for everyone.

Afterward, they went to the grocery store and got stuff for dinner. When they got back to his house, he made them dinner. After dinner, they curled up on his couch and talked more about their families. That night, they lay intertwined in each other's arms until long after midnight.

* * *

 

On Tuesday morning, Steve was at her side just as she was beginning to stir. She cracked an eye open.

"Is it time to get up?"

"I guess so," he mumbled.

They lay facing each other without moving before Steve went on. "You know what sounds good? Coffee and a cinnamon roll."

"Yum," she said. "But I have to be at work at 8. You shouldn't have kept me awake all last night."

"Close your eyes and wish really hard." Too tired to do anything else, she closed her eyes and did what he said. "And there it is!"

"What?" She sat up. "Don't tease me. I'm starved."

"It's right there!" He motioned behind her on the nightstand.

She looked over and saw two steaming cups of coffee and a cinnamon roll. "When and why did you do this?"

"Just a couple of minutes ago and just because I was awake and starving."

"Thinking of yourself. So romantic." She sat up and pinched off a corner of the cinnamon roll.

"Do I at least get a thank you?"

She licked her fingers. "How about a kiss?" He leaned in to kiss her but she stopped him. "In the shower, Cap."

"I like where your head's at, Carter."

* * *

 

After they finished their long shifts at work, they put together a nice little chicken dinner and packed it up. Steve carried the basket of food in one hand and held Sharon's hand with the other. Together they walked down to Steve's boat and boarded. Steve drove the boat to the calmer water just outside of Beaufort.

Sharon put together their plates of food while Steve put on some light music in the background. For the most part, they were silent during dinner. They both knew they were trying to avoid the inevitable conversation. When they finished their food, they packed up the basket again.

The sun was finally in its last 30 minutes of its decent. Steve grabbed a beer and sat in a seat that was facing the sunset. Sharon went over to him, sat down on his lap, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Sharon..."

"Don't...please."

They sat there holding each other while the sun finally was setting. Just before all of the sun's light disappeared from the horizon, one of Steve's favorite songs came on.

"When I was little, the only music that was ever playing in the Rogers house was Bruce Springsteen. Because of that, I still listen to Bruce 95% of the time." He paused when he felt her shift to give him her full attention. "After that night you came over to talk to me about Moby, I went inside and turned on some Bruce. The first song that came on was this one. Ever since then I have unofficially declared this as our song."

"You are so lame. I was expecting a big romantic speech." She laid her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes so she could take in his scent.

He waited for the part he hasn't been able to stop think about to come up. When it got there, he softly began singing along.

" _She'll lead you down a path_  
 _There'll be tenderness in the air_  
 _She'll let you come just far enough_  
 _So you know she's really there_  
 _Then she'll look at you and smile_  
 _And her eyes will say_  
 _She's got a secret garden_  
 _Where everything you want_  
 _Where everything you need_  
 _Will always stay_  
 _A million miles away_ "

She sat up once she really started hearing what he was singing. By the end, there were tears rolling down her cheeks that he continued to wipe away.

"Sharon, I'll never stop chasing you because we are meant to be together. Up until about that night you came over to complain about Moby, I didn't see myself living the rest of my life with anyone but this boat and Moby. But now I can't see myself living the rest of my life without you. I know this complicates everything even more but I need you to know, I'll never give up on you."

"What am I supposed to do, Steve?"

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "No that's not what I mean. A few weeks ago, my life was simple and I knew where I was going. I had Clint, which by the way I still care very deeply for him. But then you came along. I thought what I felt towards you was just a sort of like a fling, but then you had to open your stupid, goddamn mouth. You just had to make me feel intelligent. You just had to make me feel beautiful. You just had to make me feel...loved and cared for."

"I didn't plan on falling in love with you so fast. I know it's not normal and certainly I'm asking you to put your life on the line with me..."

"Exactly!" She paused reading his expressions carefully. "This all happened so fast. What if it doesn't work?"

"So this is really just a fling for you?"

The tears started slowly rolling down her face and to her surprise, he still wiped them away. "I'm afraid to risk everything, Steve. I could have a very stable and ordinary life with Clint." His head dropped out of defeat. "But with you, everyday would be different. Our life together would be extraordinary."

He nodded his head in response. How could he argue risk was better than stability?

"Steve." She put her hands on his face and gently lifted his head so he was looking directly in her eyes. "I know what I'm about to say is very unfair of me but I need you to forget everything we just talked about. I need you to take me back. I need you to make love to me. I just need you to love me tonight."

Steve gently kisses her forehead. "Okay." He said without hesitation. He stood and started the boat up again. When he was driving them back when she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him and rested her head between his shoulder blades.

When they arrived back his house he helped her out of the boat. While they walked up to the houses, she felt him intertwine their fingers. The moment they got inside his house, he dropped the basket and kissed her as deeply as he possibly could. He had one last night to prove to her his love for her is endless.

After, when she heard Steve sleeping, a small smile crossed forced its way onto her face. She knows what her choice is.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I would just like to inform you that this is by no means the end yet! Also there is a song that is referenced in this chapter. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1OB7NmLvDw I highly recommend you listen to it! It is Steve and Sharon in this story!
> 
> Thank you again and we shall see when the next update will be!

A couple days had passed since he and Sharon were on his boat. Since that night, he had gone through the motions at work and would come home and find a new project he could work on around the house. 

On Saturday night, there was a terrible thunderstorm going on outside. It knocked out the power in his house so he found some candles and lit them in the area where he was. He and Moby sat on the couch together while Steve read the newspaper and Moby worked on getting the squeaker out of his new toy. As the night went on, the storm seemed to get worse and worse.

At about 11pm, Steve heard someone banging on his back door. He rushed to the back of his house and opened the door. Sharon stood there drenched by the rain and also sobbing. He grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. He looked her over quickly and saw there was nothing physically wrong with her.

"What's wrong, Sharon?!"

"Why do your friends call you Cap?"

"Did you really come over here in this storm-"

"Just answer the damn question!"

"It's short for Captain America, from the comics...I don't know, it's stupid."

She started crying harder. "But why did they give you that name?"

He rolled his eyes. "Because I'm very loyal and honest. I don't give up on the people I love. I don't know. I really don't understand why this was so important-"

"Then why did you give up on me?"

"What?"

"You said you don't give up on people you love. So why did you stop fighting for me?"

"Because I make your life very complex. Like you said, Clint is safe and stable. But being with me...well everyday will different from the last one. And when you started crying on the boat...it hit me how much I have impacted your life."

"But why did-"

"I didn't give up on you. I love you so very much. I love you so much that I am able to accept that I am not the perfect and stable man you need for the rest-"

She cut him off by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself as close as she could to him and kissed him, deeply. At first he hesitated, but a moment later he kissed her back. They pulled away when they ran out of breath.

"Steve, I knew what my choice was right before we fell asleep the other night. You are the perfect and stable man for me. You put aside your disappointment from that conversation on the boat, and just made me feel loved all night long. You walked into my life a couple weeks ago and I never want you to walk out of it ever again, even if it is just for a couple of days. I chose you, Steve. Even though it took me a while to see it, my choice was always clear and right in front of me. I love you, Steve Rogers."

"I love you, Sharon." He kissed her again. He pulled back and held her tightly. "I'll fight for you. I'll fight for this love everyday."

* * *

 

"How did I agree to this?" Sharon looked down over the ledge she would be jumping off of shortly.

"Because you knew you couldn't say no to this." The instructor tightened her harness then hooked her up to the cable Steve was already connected to. "And you just wanted an excuse for me to hold onto you." 

She punched his shoulder. "Watch it."

The instructor told them that they were clear to jump whenever they were ready. Steve gave him a thumbs up and Sharon flashed him a nervous smile.

They walked up to the edge. "On three..." Steve started.

"Wait, Steve. I'm not ready."

He smiled at her and tucked her flyaway's behind her ear. "Just look at where you are. This is your first time coming to Africa. Standing on the  Victoria Falls Bridge right in-between Zimbabwe and Zambia. You get to look at that amazing landscape out there. And if for some crazy reason you get tired of looking at the landscape, I am strapped in here with you so you can look at me smiling at you while you enjoy this new adventure. Just like how it will be for the rest of our  lives. Speaking of which, Sharon Carter, will you marry me?"

She was shocked and overwhelmed by the situation she was in. She was about to bungee jump off a bridge and Steve just asked her to marry him. Before she could find any words he kissed her. When she began kissing him back, he wrapped his arms around her and pushed them over the edge. He pulled away from her when they neared the bottom. They looked around laughing and smiling. When the cord settled, the instructor pulled them back up. When they got back on the platform, Steve unhooked himself and went over to his backpack and pulled out the velvet box. He walked back over to Sharon and got down on one knee and opened the box.

"Well?"

She started crying and got down on her knees in front of him. "Yes. Of course I will you crazy, idiot."

He laughed and helped her put the ring on her finger. She pulled him to her by grabbing his shirt and kissed him deeply. They pulled back after a few moments. Steve gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"I love you so much, Sharon Carter."

"I love you so damn much, Steve Rogers."

* * *

 

In the beginning, they were planning a big elaborate wedding. Those plans fizzled out one day when they were hanging out with their friends. In that moment, they both knew that they wanted something small and soon. So the next day they found a priest, location, cake, and guests. On the next Saturday, they got married. The ceremony was small, just how they wanted it. There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd after they told each other their vows.

They held the reception at their favorite local bar that was also on the water. They spent the night together with their closest friends and family. They wouldn't have had it any other way.

Sharon got up on one of the table and tapped her glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention. "Everyone! I would first like to thank you all for being here on such a short notice." She looked at Steve and held her hand out for him to hold. He smiled and held her extended hand. "We tend to keep everything about our lives interesting and unconventional." Everyone laughed. "But in all seriousness, you all have been here since the beginning of something that never would have happened without you guys. So we owe every single one of you something in return." She paused while people clapped. "Also, I am going to ask that Steve picks our first dance song. I may regret this one day, but today is all about being interesting and unconventional."

He walked over to the jukebox already with a song in mind. It took him no time to find the song and put it on. He walked back over to the table she was standing on and helped her down onto the ground. She immediately wrapped one arm around his neck and her other hand slid naturally into his. She pushed herself closer to him. When there was finally lyrics, she recognized that classic, raspy voice she had gotten to know very well because of Steve.

"I should have guessed you were going to pick a Springsteen song."

"I had this song picked for this very situation the moment you walked away from me that first night you talked to me."

She punched his shoulder. She tried to hold a straight face but immediately bursted out laughing when he did.

"Shhhh." He whispered in her ear and began to gently sway with her. "Just listen."

She did as she was told. At some point during the song, she started to crying. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes while he held her and guided her. When the song finished, they slowly pulled away from each other. He smiled down at her and wiped the tears off her face. 

"Thank you for the dance, Mr. Rogers."

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "No, thank you for the dance, Mrs. Rogers."

* * *

 

"Sharon we need you to keep pushing!" The doctor was trying their best to help Sharon out.

"Steve, I can't! I'm so scared."

Steve intertwined their fingers together and wiped the sweat off her face with his other hand. "I know you are scared, Sharon. I am too. But I'm will always be right next you. Just push for me baby."

She nodded in response and immediately started screaming again. Just over a year and half after their wedding, they welcomed Ian Rogers into the world on July 4th. The new family was excited to get home and begin raising their son. In another two years, they welcomed Emily Rogers on September 18th. 

When Ian was 4 and Emily was 2, the family stayed outside after dinner and played in the yard with the dogs. Steve sat on a white lawn chair he had just recently bought. Sharon eventually came over and sat on his lap.

"What are you smiling at?" She asked him.

It took him a few moments to respond to her. He was trying to put into words what he was feeling right now. "It's hard to believe that a few years ago, I never saw myself in this life. I just saw myself traveling and working honestly. But I'll tell you what. I have been to too many places in the world. I have so many pictures of beautiful pictures of the world. But you know what? Life simply does not get any better than this picture right here."

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I think there will be one more chapter after this. Enjoy this one and again just hang in there for the next update!!

"Are you sure you can handle this, Kate?" Sharon frantically stuffed miscellaneous items into her purse while she talked to Kate Barnes, Bucky and Nat's oldest. 

"Mrs. Rogers, this isn't my first babysitting job. There is nothing to worry about."

Sharon sighed and looked at her kids playing in the other room. "Alright, well, if you need anything, even if it is small, please call me or Mr. Rogers. Remember the kids need to be in bed no later than 8. Mr. Rogers and I will be back no later than 11."

"Sounds good. Enjoy your night!"

Sharon kissed her Ian and Emily goodbye then went out to the car where Steve was waiting for her. "And here I was starting to think you were skipping out on me because you love the kids more than me." He joked. 

She smacked his arm and held her hand out. "Give me the keys. I'm driving since it's your birthday dinner."

He smirked then handed her the keys. He walked to the other side of the car and got in on the passengers side. She started the car as soon as he shut his door. "What's the rush?"

Sharon looked over at him and forced a smile. "There's no rush." She backed the car out of the driveway.

He turned on her playlist so that her panties would untwist. After sitting in silence for 15 minutes he cleared his throat and spoke up. "You look gorgeous tonight, honey."

She didn't look at him, instead she fidgeted in her seat while keeping one hand on the wheel. "I really didn't have enough time..." She trailed off.

He turned his attention back to the road and examined the landmarks briefly that they passed. Thankfully, they arrived at the restaurant after the awkward exchange. He got out and hurried to her side of the car to open her door, like he always did. She opened the door right as he reached for the door handle, which caught him a little off balance. He waited until she was out of the way before he shut her door.

They walked into the restaurant and were immediately greeted by the hostess. "Hello, reservation?"

"Yes, it's under Rogers." Sharon replied. The hostess looked down and found their name. She grabbed two menus and motioned for them to follow her. She took them to a table on the patio that had a beautiful view of the water. Steve helped Sharon into her seat before he sat in his own.

She picked up her menu and began reading over what was offered. He watched her, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. The waiter came around and he ordered them a bottle of Silver Oak 2002. 

"Sharon, what's wrong?"

"Nothing?"

"You seem off tonight."

"I just had a long week at work."

He sighed and looked around before responding. "Does that have anything to do with me punching Dr. Banner?"

She stayed silent and tried to just focus on the menu.

"I thought we worked through this already, Sharon? What I did was wrong but what he did to you justified my actions." He tried to keep his voice low.

"Just forget it, Steve." She snapped at him. "It's your birthday dinner after all. Wouldn't want you to think I don't care."

"Well what's that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well you would be passively very upset that I didn't try to do something romantic for you for your birthday."

He was about to fire back when the waiter brought them the wine. They thanked him and asked for more time. 

"Sharon, if this is such a burden for you, then why did you do this?"

"Because you always do this for me and I felt like I owe you one."

"Does that mean you don't like what I do for your birthday?"

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

They stayed silent and looked over the menu. They ordered the next time the waiter came around. About 15 minutes after they ordered, Steve's phone started ringing.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Rogers? It's Kate."

"Hi Kate, is everything alright?"

"Yeah well, the kids must have gotten food poisoning from what they ate tonight and now both of them are throwing up. It's a lot to handle Mr. Rogers and they really want their mom and dad."

"Okay. We will head home then. Just keep them in the bathrooms." He hung up the phone. "The kids got food poisoning and are throwing up."

Sharon shot out her chair and collected her things, quickly. She reached in her purse and pulled out a $100 bill and left it on the table. They hurried out of the restaurant together and got in the car.

While Sharon fumbled with turning the car on he heard her say something under her breath. "What did you say?"

"This wouldn't have have happened if we just got my aunt to watch them."

He rolled his eyes and felt the car begin to move. "You can't be serious. Bucky and Nat are our friends, Sharon. Besides how is this Kate's fault?"

"She must have given them something they shouldn't eat."

"We bought the pizza! And besides, food poisoning happens. You puke it all out and then you feel better. It's the circle of life."

"This still could have been avoided if-"

"If I did what you wanted and got poor, old Peggy to watch our crazy, energetic kids." The was a loud clap of thunder then the rain started pouring down. He ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. "So all this comes back to being my fault."

She ignored him. She didn't want to talk to him anymore because he was just being a stubborn ass these past couple of days. 

She was having a hard time seeing now since it was dark and raining. She gripped the wheel a little tighter. She was going pretty fast at this point when all of a sudden she saw headlight rapidly approaching her side of the car. She felt Steve's hand on top of hers and he jerked the wheel just slightly that the other car only clipped their taillight. Their car spun in a half circle on impact. Unfortunately the car did a hit and run so they could not get their insurance. Steve got out of the car real quick to inspect the damage. He got back in, drenched from just being out there for less than a minute. 

"Why do you always have to try and be the hero? I had the situation under control!" She shouted at him.

He ignored her comment. "We are good to drive the rest of the way home." He said in a bitter tone. Right as he fastened his seat belt, there was a loud bang and suddenly the world went black. 

When she opened her eyes, everything was fuzzy and was moving in slow motion. She saw people moving over top of her. At first she was confused at why she couldn't move at all. But once the world became a little clearer, she figured out that she was in the back of an ambulance. She then started to become aware of the pain radiating through her body. Someone flashed a light in her eyes while another put a needle in her arm. Her eyes closed and everything went black again.

The next time she opened her eyes, she knew exactly where she was. She was in the ICU at the hospital she occasionally does shifts at. Her head was wrapped with gauze and other random places were either stitched up or covered with gauze. Suddenly flashes of how this happened to her appeared. She started to freak out once she realized she hasn't seen Steve. A nurse came in to settle her down but Sharon just kept repeating "Where is he!"

No one was telling her anything about Steve and I was really worrying her. Around 5am, a doctor came into her room and said she could see Steve. A nurse wheeled her to his room and the moment she saw him she covered her mouth with her hand and began crying. The nurse parked her next to his bed. "He's stable but still critical right now. I'll leave you alone." The nurse left the room.

Sharon reached out at held his hand tightly. "Oh Steve, I am so sorry." She laid her head down on his bed and cried, harder than she ever has in her entire life.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it is finally summer and I have this chapter for you guys then an epilogue that will (I promise) be posted in a few days. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Unlike the cinematic treasure, Bruce Almighty, that has a home in his giant movie shelf, wherever his mind was, it certainly was not white and peaceful. Everything was fuzzy and there was a very loud and high pitched ringing going on somewhere in the background. This clearly wasn't heaven or the place in-between. He knew he was here because everything hurt like hell and his body couldn't make up its mind about whether or not it is done fighting.

* * *

 "I have a huge surprise for you today." Sharon sat right next to Steve on the bed and pulled up her nice camera. "Today was Ian's first little league baseball game, as you already know since that's the only thing he can tell you about when he visits you." She played the video on her camera and held it so they could both see it. "The little bastard hit a double at his first ever at bat after crying the whole way to the field about how he wasn't going to hit the ball today." In the background you could hear Sharon and Emily cheering for their boy Ian who just reached second on the video. She turned the camera off and put it on the table next to the bed. "That was the best moment of that kids life so far..." She trailed off. "It would have been the best day of his life if you would have seen it."

She turned her head and looked at her lifeless husband laying on the bed still in a coma. She felt the tears burning her eyes and let them fall like every other night she has visited him. She laid down on her side, next to him and put her arm across his chest with her head resting gently on his shoulder. "It's my fault you didn't get to see everything today." She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm so sorry I did this to you, Steve. I regret everything about that night and I play it back in my head so many times and see how much of a bitch I was to you when you didn't deserve it. I wish it was me on this bed, not you. I know you would say to never think this way but I'm so desperate, Steve. The kids need you. Bucky and Sam need you. Moby needs you. And I need you so damn much Steve Rogers. I need you so badly baby."

She laid there in silence for at least an hour before the nurse came around and told her it was time for her to leave. She got up and wiped her face with a tissue. She then packed up her camera before saying goodbye to Steve. She leaned down over him and examined his face, memorizing every detail. She gently kissed his lips then pulled away slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow before work. I love you, Steve Rogers. Come back to me please."

She drove home, dreading yet another time she had to face her kids without good news. She could tell they were starting to lose hope that their dad would be coming back. She wished they were a bit younger and more naive so they didn't have to experience this kind of pain. 

She walked in the door and saw Bucky and Nat sitting on the couch in the family room. They came over every single day with their kids and would watch Ian and Emily for Sharon so she could go to the hospital. She owes so much to them for doing this for her. 

Bucky and Nat got up and immediately embraced her in a hug when she broke down after closing the door. Her sobs were louder than usual so they walked her out to the front porch. They sat down on the steps and sat on opposite sides of Sharon, still comforting her. "He only has two days left before the doctors pull the plug." She sobbed. Bucky rubbed her back while Nat let her cry on her shoulder.

"He's going to come back, Sharon. That stupid bastard always has to keep everyone on the edge of their seat until he feels all the attention is finally on him." Bucky joked.

That made Sharon chuckle a little bit. "I'm going to beat his ass if that is the case." Moby must have heard them because he came and sat on the step in front of Sharon. Bucky and Nat eventually left to put their own kids to bed so that just left Sharon and Moby sitting on the stairs.

"What are you thinking there, Moby?" Moby nuzzled under her arm so she could hold him in an embrace. "I really hope he comes back too."

The next morning she got up early as usual, fed the dogs, got the kids ready for school, drove the kids to school then left for work. She stopped by the hospital before work to talk to Steve's doctors about tomorrow. After the meeting, she quickly said hello to Steve before heading to work for a few hours. Everyone understood why she left early today. 

She sat in the chair next to Steve's bed and held his hand and cried. She never thought she would be sitting here trying to accept the real possibility that her husband isn't going to wake up from a car crash that should have never happened. 

Later in the day, Bucky and Nat brought her kids as well as the rest of Steve's friends. It was all too real now that people were actually here to say goodbye to their dear friend. Sharon sat with them laughing and crying to all the stories his friends had to share. She could see it on their faces how much they were sad to be here doing this instead of sitting around Steve's famous fire while he grilled some burgers and kept pushing beer on people. 

After all his friends left, it was just Sharon, Ian, and Emily. She let them talk to their dad while she continued to sit there and cry. When the nurse finally came around to tell them visiting hours were over, Sharon had the kids say their final goodbyes. Sharon had to carry Emily out of the hospital while Ian tried to keep his chin held high. When they got home, they all went into Sharon and Steve's bed and held each other while they cried. Eventually, Ian and Emily cried themselves to sleep leaving Sharon awake trying to figure out how she will manage being a single mom.

Sharon woke the kids up early and took them over to Bucky and Nat's. She got back in her car and made the dreadful drive to the hospital. A nurse was waiting to escort her to Steve's room. The doctors were already in the room checking his vitals again. A nurse came in and had Sharon sign the consent forms. The doctors started the process of shutting machines off and taking tubes and wires off of Steve. When they were done, they left Sharon alone in the room with Steve.

She held his hand and cried as she watched him finally looking at peace. An hour had past and nothing had happened yet. She reached into her pocket and pulled her iPod out. She put on The River album by Bruce Springsteen which was his absolute favorite. She picked a song that she thought was slow but was a pretty fast song. She started laughing because she knew this is how he would have wanted to do this.

About halfway through playing the album his favorite song ever came on. She thought nothing of it until she thought she felt him move. She shot up and looked and saw his eyes were open and he was smiling. "Steve!" She yelled she frantically looked him over, feeling for a pulse. He managed to grab her hand and stop her so she could look at him.

"All you had to do was bring this place to life with the Boss." Tears filled her eyes and she laughed. She leaned down quickly and kissed him. She pulled away then hit the button for the nurse so they could come in and check him. 

The next couple of hours were a blur. His vitals were normal, injuries were healed, and he was awake. The doctors decided that he was fit to go home and get out of the hospital after being here for three months exactly. The doctors called this a miracle that he woke up in this condition and after they had pulled the plugs. Sharon helped him change out of his gown and then wheeled him to her car. She helped him get into the car. She pulled away from the hospital curb hoping that this was the last time she had to come here for a very long time. She pulled into their driveway and turned the car off.

"Are you ready?" She asked him with a smile on her face.

"I've been dreaming of this moment." They got out of the car and walked to the front door. She unlocked the door and walked in.

"Ian. Emily. I'm home." She tossed her keys into the key bowl. "I have a surprise for you two."

The two walked out of the kitchen with their heads down and crying. Steve closed the door behind him and looked at how much his kids had grown since the last time he saw them. He was oddly nervous about this moment. He took a deep breath and his nerves were calmed. "Hey is that cheeseburgers I smell? Why are you guys eating them without me?"

Ian and Emily's head shot up and saw their dad standing in their house now instead of in the hospital. They both ran at full speed towards their dad and held on to him as tight as the possibly could. Steve also held onto them as tight as he possibly could too. "I'm sorry I put you guys through that." Through the tears they mumbled back that it was okay. Sharon joined the group and held on to everyone as tight as she could too. They stood like this for at least ten minutes. 

After the kids went to sleep, Sharon and Steve went downstairs and sat on the couch together. They initially sat their in silence just holding one another. 

"This was all my fault, Steve."

"Don't say that, Sharon. It wasn't your fault." He kissed the top of her head. 

"I was such a bitch to you that night and you just took it like you always do. I would have never forgiven myself for letting that be your last memory of us if you would have..."

"Don't think like that. You were just very overwhelmed and I put you in that situation, Sharon. I deserved to be treated like that after what I did to Banner."

She wrapped her arms around him and cried on his shoulder. Seeing her like this broke his heart and made him start crying too. He moved them so she was sitting on the edge of the couch and he was kneeling in front of her. He brushed away the tears that were rolling down her face. "A long time ago, you were faced with a hard choice. And in the end you picked me. When I went into the coma, I have no clue where I was, but it certainly wasn't heaven or the place in-between. There was no pain or suffering in that place. I hated being there, Sharon. I hated it because there was no way I could love you from there. I've told you so many times that I will love you forever." He had to stop to compose himself. She lifted his head and wiped his tears away now. "Sharon, I never want to live in a place or a world where I physically am unable to love you even if there is no pain or suffering there. I chose this family. I chose you, Sharon. Now can we just put everything that has happened the last couple of months in the past and just move on."

She nodded and pulled his face up to hers and kissed him, deeply. "I love you, Steve Rogers."

"I love you so much, Sharon Rogers."

 


End file.
